Brave and the Loud
by Stall Walt
Summary: Fearing that she may not be as close to her brother as she likes, Lynn Loud Jr. uses a new invention of Lisa's to remove Lincoln's ability to fear, hoping that the new Lincoln would like what she likes. However, that isn't the case, as she and Lincoln learns the fine line between fearlessness and recklessness.
1. The Times Are A-Changing

_The sound of birds chirping greeted six year old Lynn Loud as she opened her eyes. As soon as she regained her bearings, the widest grin on her face appeared. Today was Saturday, which meant no school and all the time that she could have to play all day long as long as she wished._

 _Immediately leaping from the bed, she ran over to her drawer and began to haphazardly put on whatever clothes that she could find in her drawer. While she did so, she felt someone watching her. Turning around, she saw her one year old sister, Lucy, standing up and leaning against her crib, her eyes hidden by the dark bangs of her hair._

" _Hey, Luce! You ready for saturday?!" Lynn shouted as she ran to the window and pulled back the curtains, letting the sunlight through._

" _BLEH BLEH!" Lucy screamed as she covered her face from the sunlight and fell to her butt._

" _Oh come on, Luce! Are you a vampire? Learn to appreciate the sunlight a bit more." Lynn smiled as she pulled the cradle's wall down and picked Lucy up._

" _Bleh." Lucy said, her final word on the matter._

" _Fine, fine. Don't blame me when you turn to dust when even a little bit of sun gets you."_

" _Bleh."_

 _As Lynn carried Lucy out of their room, the two heard a gasp behind them. With firm hands, 12 year old Lori scooped Lucy out of Lynn's hands, giving Lynn a bit of a glare in the process. To her credit, Lucy didn't really react to Lori's handling, though Lucy could be counted to be an odd baby when compared to others._

" _Lynn, what are you doing? You could have dropped her! And did you even shower?"_

 _Lynn shrugged, before making a bit of a muscle._

" _Please, you're saying I would have dropped my baby sis with guns like these? No way! Besides, I got a long day ahead of me, gonna shower tonight."_

" _What? Oh no!" 11 year old Leni came from behind Lori and tried to stretch out Lynn's sleeves to cover her arms. "Lynn, you can't show guns in public! I'm at least pretty sure that's like illegal here!"_

 _Both Lori and Lynn couldn't help but give Leni a look. Even Lucy seemed to register that what Leni said might not have been the smartest thing that she could have said, if only by the stillness of her frame. While Leni was utterly lovable, her intelligence on the other hand…_

" _Leni, that's not what she meant by guns…" Lori said. Leni put her finger to her lips for a moment, before her eyes suddenly lit up with realization._

" _Oh, is it one of those smilys things that my teachers keeps trying to teach me about?" Lori stared at her for a moment before shrugging._

" _Yeah, close enough."_

 _Just as the four were about to descend down the stairs, Lynn realized that there was still two doors in the hallway that was still closed instead of left open, and one of them was still occupied._

" _Hey, is Lincoln up yet?"_

 _Lori rubbed her chin. "No, I don't think so. I know that Luna and Luan are up, but I don't know about Lincoln."_

" _Lemme check!" Leni ran down the stairs and peeked into the kitchen. Looking back at the three still on the stairs, she shook her head. "No, not here."_

" _Leni," their father said, his voice audible from Lynn's position. "Don't scream out, or you'll wake everyone else."_

" _Dad, we're awake! And we could hear from here!" Lori called out._

 _Just before their father responded, a groan could be heard from the parents' bedroom._

" _Wha-" Lori and Leni grimaced when they realized for who Dad was trying to keep the volume down for._

" _Well, I'm gonna go ahead and see if Lincoln's awake." Lynn said as she turned around from the situation and ran back up the steps. Coming to the door that led to Lincoln's room, she started to knock on it._

" _Lincoln, you awake? Lincoln?" Hearing no response, she called out again. "Lincoln, I'm coming in now!"_

 _Barely a second after she called out that warning, she immediately entered the closet that had been repurposed as Lincoln's room. Toys had laid scattered all over the floor, forcing her to be careful where she stepped. A couple of drawings lined the walls, some with pictures of his sisters (she thought that he got her likeness pretty well even while using orange for her skin) and some with pictures of superheroes, just like the one on the comic book that Lincoln fell asleep reading._

 _And there he was, little four year old Lincoln Loud, the only brother that Lynn had, sleeping only in his little red undies. Lynn smiled as she watched the rise and fall of Lincoln's chest, his eyes utterly closed as he probably continued dreaming about whatever it was that four year old boys dreamed of. At that moment, he was the very image of innocence._

 _Then Lynn tapped Lincoln on the head. Lincoln scrunched his face a bit, before relaxing. Lynn tapped his head again. Lincoln grumbled as he waved the offending digit away before rolling to his side towards the wall, the comic book sliding off his chest and onto the bed._

 _Lynn took a moment to grab the comic book and put it somewhere safe, so that Lincoln didn't accidentally roll over it and then cry about ruining it._

 _After that, Lynn rubbed her chin as she thought about what she could do to wake Lincoln up. After a while, an idea popped into her head. And so, she laid her head onto his chest, his heartbeat and other bodily noises pressed to her ear._

" _Linky…"_

 _Lincoln's eyes tightened, realizing that there was something different._

" _Linky…"_

 _Lincoln's eyes slowly opened, before looking down at his chest. Lynn could see the cogs in Lincoln's head turning as they tried to comprehend what it was that he was seeing. She gave a big smile._

" _Morning…"_

 _His eyes, now fully alert, widened. She had scant seconds to get her head off his chest before he jumped a bit, screaming his head off. Lynn merely laughed. Then someone heard the commotion from downstairs._

" _Lynn, don't tease your brother. Just get him down here." Her mother said._

" _Yeah, Lynn. No need to make Linc 'scream his head off.'" Luan chuckled._

" _...That doesn't make sense, Luan Luv." Luna replied._

 _Lincoln, now calming down, frowned at Lynn, which came across as a pout._

" _Lynnnnnnnnn…" Lincoln whined. "Can you not do that? I don't like it when you scare me like that…"_

" _Aw, Linc. You know me…" Lynn smiled as she hugged him before messing up his hair. "I just like to mess with you sometimes."_

 _Lincoln's frown became a smile as he bore his sister's roughing up of his hair. When the assault was done, Lincoln leapt from his bed and reached for the doorknob. However, he was stopped by Lynn, who looked a little aghast at him._

" _What?" Lincoln asked, looking confused._

" _Lincoln, shouldn't you go get something to wear?" Lynn asked._

" _Why can't I go out like this? What if I don't want to wear pants?" Lincoln asked, the beginnings of a pout on his face._

" _Well, mommy won't let you have breakfast. She might even bring you upstairs and force you to wear one of the shirt that auntie sent us."_

 _Lincoln grimaced. "I don't want to wear those shirts, they're itchy…"_

" _Well, better to find something that you want to wear." With that, Lincoln stopped grumbling and started to look inside his drawers. As he did so, Lynn couldn't help but look back at the comic book that her brother was reading. Picking it up again, she read the title that announced the name of the guy on the book._

' _Ace Savvy, huh?' She thought to herself as she looked over the newest obsession that her brother had. Some brown-haired muscular guy with a blue cape, a red suit that exposed his legs, and a spades symbol emblazoned on his chest. Oh brother…_

" _So, who's this Ace Savvy, huh?" Lynn asked Lincoln, turning the book around so he could see the cover. Lincoln, who had finished dressing, immediately turned around with stars in his eyes. Taking the comic gently, almost as if the comic book was a precious jewel that could shatter if it hit the ground, he turned it around so the cover faced Lynn._

" _Ace Savvy's the coolest superhero! He could fly and he's super strong and he's super smart! He could do anything and he's so cool. I want to be like him when I grow up!"_

 _Lynn chuckled. "That's some idea you got there, Linc. Any idea how you gonna do it?"_

 _Lincoln frowned as his young mind tried to comprehend the question. "What do you mean?"_

" _I mean, how are you gonna get super strong and fly like this 'Ace Savvy?'"_

 _Lincoln's mouth dropped as he suddenly realized the hole in his plan. After a few moments of panicking, he looked to Lynn, his eyes already pleading. "I don't know, but I do want to be like Ace Savvy. Do you have an idea, Lynn?"_

 _Lynn started to stroke her chin, already having something in mind. "Well, this Ace Savvy does look really strong, right?"_

 _Lincoln nodded excitedly. "Yeah, he's really strong!"_

" _I bet strong enough that he could kick a ball really far."_

 _Her little brother's eyes started to shine, his mind already starting to work out what Lynn had in mind. "Yeah, really far, like up to the sky!"_

 _Lynn grinned. "Well then, bro! How about we go to the backyard and kick around that soccer ball a bit. Think of it as day one of Operation: Make Lincoln Super Strong and Tough Like Ace Savvy By Playing Ball!"_

 _Lincoln nodded so much, his head could have come unglued. "YEAH!"_

 _Then both of their stomachs started to growl._

" _But can we have breakfast first, Lynn? I'm hungryyy…"_

 _Lynn ruffled Lincoln's hair one more time. "Sure, bro. Let's put that plan into action right after breakfast."_

 _The two then walked out of the room, both eager to start the day._

* * *

The sound of birds chirping roused 13 year old Lynn Loud Jr from her sleep. At first, she simply tried to go back to sleep, wanting a few more moments. However, suddenly she was struck by the most profound sense that she had forgotten something yesterday.

Game? Won. Homework? Done. Bathroom? Lana had lodged a complaint. So what was she forgetting?

She began to move about, before freezing suddenly.

Was there something on her legs?

She looked at her blanket. Then she looked underneath the covers. After staring at what happened, she looked up blankly, before looking down to confirm the result.

"DANG IT!" Lynn groaned, falling back onto her pillow. She had forgotten her pad, now she needed to get her sheets washed. Wasn't that just the greatest start to Saturday she could have? As she was about to start moving, she felt a presence watching her. Turning to the side, she saw her little sister Lucy, staring at the red spot of her blanket, before looking at her. Even when her expression didn't change, Lynn had enough experience with her to know when there was something that peaked her interest.

Lynn already shook her head. "Lucy, I'm not letting you see this so you can make your fake blood look more real. Just look it up on Google or something."

Lucy deflated, or at least as much as she could deflate her mood. "Sigh."

Suddenly, someone knocked at their door and called out to them. Upon hearing the person's voice, Lynn blushed in embarrassment and almost covered her face with her blanket, before realizing what was on it and pushing it away. Of all the times he could have picked to be the caring brother over sleeping in, he had to choose now.

"Lynn, are you alright? I heard you scream!" Lincoln said, worry lining his voice.

"I-It's fine, I'm fine! No need for you come in or anything!" Lynn replied, trying not to make Lincoln worry for her or give him the chance to see her like this.

"Lynn, it didn't sound like nothing. Please let me help!" The knob turned and Lynn's heart stopped. Not like this…

Just then, Lucy appeared in front of the door, blocking Lincoln's line of sight.

"Lincoln, don't worry. It's nothing that the others can't handle. Just wait for them."

Before Lincoln could respond, a hand lightly grabbed his shoulder. Looking behind, he saw his sister Lori trying to smile disarmingly at him. Behind her the rest of his older sisters smiled back at them, while the younger sisters were peeking out of their rooms.

"Lucy's right, Lincoln. Just let us handle this one. And don't try to come out of your room before we give the all clear, understand?" Lincoln looked ready to protest, but the clear authority that Lori was putting on display made it clear that his obedience was mandatory.

Leni came by and started to herd Lincoln away from the scene. "Don't worry, Lincy. Lynn just had an accident."

"LENI!" Lynn screamed in mortification.

"Oops…" Leni put her hands to her mouth, suddenly aware that she said something that she wasn't supposed to say. Lincoln could tell there was more but decided to let the matter lie, if Lynn's reaction was anything to go by.

Luan started to herd the other little sisters to their rooms. "Come on, kiddos. No need to comment, just wait until we say it's okay."

The twins thankfully didn't say anything, their brains still a bit fuzzy from waking up in such a fashion. Lisa looked ready to speak about some possible invention that she could create or something like that, but huffed when Luan shook her head. Lynn needed something that science couldn't really provide at the moment.

When everyone else was taken care, Lynn smiled at Lucy. "Thanks, Lucy. You're a lifesaver."

While Lucy's lips seemingly didn't move much, the small curves at the ends of her lips told her everything.

"You are welcome, Lynn. We shall discuss terms for the bargain some other time."

Lynn balked. "What, come on, sis! I'm sure you can spare me this once. Lucy, please have a heart!"

The small curves returned again. "To see your possible anguish shine through will be payment enough. The bargain has been paid in full."

With that, Lori stepped in. "Alright, you two, knock it off. Lynn, you go ahead into the shower. Me and Luna are gonna go ahead and take care of your sheets. Might as well start laundry early today…"

"Thanks Lori!" Lynn said as she threw off her covers. Lori groaned as she rubbed her temples.

"Lynn...you didn't even get out of your soccer uniform?" She asked rhetorically, gesturing to the crumpled and bloodied sports uniform that Lynn was still in.

"...I was beat." Lynn shrugged as she made her way to the door, her movement slightly hampered by the dry blood, also making sure to grab her towels. Peeking out into the hallway and making sure that Luan and Leni were doing their jobs, she practically ran to the bathroom and closed it so fast it was a miracle that she didn't rip the door knob while doing so.

A few more moments later and Lynn was in the shower, the water starting to wash the red off, the color itself becoming a stream of clear pink that flushed down the drain. As Lynn continued to wash herself, she could help but have a few thoughts on the whole matter.

' **Stupid periods. Guess what, Lynn, you're going to pee blood once a month for the rest of your life because God wanted women to suffer because someone ate an apple or something. You better make sure that you have something to absorb all that blood or something like this is going to happen again. Oh, and that absorbing something is going to cost money, and that's going into the budget, so you better not lose that new baseball because that's the only one you're going to have for a long time. Stupid, stupid, stupid…'**

At the end of her internal ranting, she inspected herself and declared herself decent. Stopping the shower, she grabbed her towels and wrapped her hair and body in them. Grabbing her dirty clothes, she was about to drop them into the hamper before remembering the state of them and how it would mess up the other dirty laundry more. As she thought about this dilemma and how to solve, someone knocked on the door.

Opening it, Lynn was relieved to find her mother at the door.

"Here, mom. Sorry about the mess." Lynn said as she handed the dirty clothes to her. Her mom took them gingerly, making sure to have a grip on them without having to handle the soiled parts.

"Lynn, please do remember next time." Her mom said. Lynn blushed as she looked away.

"Yeah, I'll remember next time mom, don't worry."

As her mother left, Lynn hurried over back to her room, passing by the forming line to the bathroom. As she made it to her room, Lucy opened the door and joined the line, leaving Lynn some alone time. Entering their room, Lynn dried herself thoroughly before discarding her towels. She dressed herself in record time, and put her hair in its regular ponytail style.

Lynn was now ready to face the day, and all it took was utter embarrassment due to forgetting one teeny tiny thing last night. Joy.

Still, Lynn thought to herself as she left the room and looked at the line that hadn't moved an inch since she left, showering early did have its advantages. But just before she left, she realized that one person was missing from the line. Where was Lincoln?

She first went to his room and peeked inside, expecting him to still be in his room reading those dumb comic books of his. Instead, his comic books were untouched and his bed was still unmade but the person himself wasn't there. Pondering for a moment, she decided to check downstairs.

Walking briskly down the stairs, she peeked into the kitchen to see Lincoln still in his pjs, helping Dad make breakfast. As she fully turned the corner, Lincoln looked back and saw her. With a smile, he took a nearby cup and carried it in his hands as he came closer.

"Morning, Lynn. How are you feeling?"

Lynn rubbed the back of her head, trying not to show her embarrassment.

"Morning, and yeah, I feel fine." She tersely said.

Lincoln's face looked somewhat unconvinced as he handed her the cup filled with a brown liquid. As she took it, she realized that it was warm.

"Here, hope it helps." He then turned to Dad. "Dad, I'm going to get ready."

Dad looked back and nodded. As Lincoln passed by Lynn, she looked down at the drink that she was given. Was this…

Blowing on the liquid on it, she took a sip and almost immediately dropped the cup. Quickly peeking out of the kitchen, she saw Lincoln walking up the steps. Quickly running up the stairs, she grabbed Lincoln's arm to stop him.

"You, I, w-what?" a jumble of words spilled out of Lynn's mouth as she tried to give form to the feelings that swirled inside her and put them into coherent sentences.

Lincoln smiled, a mix of mischief and caring that practically told her everything she needed to know.

"Lynn, this happened at least four times before you. Once was a coincidence, twice was weird, three times was clearly a pattern, and four times just confirms it. You really think I wouldn't try to find out what was wrong?"

Lynn, her control over her face lost, simply blushed as she looked away. "So you know…"

Lincoln's smile dropped as he remembered the days that he dug a bit deeper into human anatomy. "Extra credit indeed…"

The two fell into silence for a bit, before Lincoln nodded to her, eager to get away a bit. Lynn simply nodded back as she walked down the stairs. However, unlike 30 seconds ago, she felt in a daze, like moving through molasses as she sat down at the adult table again with her cup of starting to cool cocoa.

There she sat for the next few minutes, occasionally sipping her drink while everything else around her seem to move at lightning speed. Somehow, the idea of Lincoln knowing about the… thing that girls like her start going through at their age just seemed weird. Like in a sort of 'knowing more than a person should know' in a sense, and even then…

The way that Lincoln handled knowing that information was… kinda chill. After knowing about it, it didn't seem like he was going around, acting like it was the grossest thing he had ever heard and trying to find ways to bring it up when talking to friends. It was strange, knowing there was a lot of times that Lincoln tried to act older than he was and it simply fell flat on its face, and yet there were also times that Lincoln just seemed to become mature as easily as he would slip on a comfortable shoe.

So why did that thought bug her?

Just as she thought that, Lincoln himself came back to the kitchen, fully dressed and looking a bit glum. Looking around her, she saw that the adult table was now filled with her older sisters and parents, all dressed up and prepared for the day and all the plans they probably have. Listening past Lori's calling, Luan's chuckles, and Luna's grooving, she could hear her younger sisters at the young kids' table.

Pushing all of that aside for now, she then focused her attention on her brother, who had gotten his breakfast and was starting to make his way to the kids' table. Seeing his glum look, Lynn wonder what was getting him down and opened her mouth to ask him. But then someone else beat her to the punch, not literally though.

"Lincy, is there something wrong?" Leni asked, wiping bread crumbs off her face with her napkin.

"Oh," Lincoln snapped out of his glum mood. "Yeah, I was gonna go hang out with Clyde today, but his parents roped him into a surprise trip, so he ain't going to be back until Monday. But don't worry, I'm sure I can think of something I can do today."

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU'RE NOT IN TOWN TODAY?!" Lori suddenly shouted, startling everyone in the area. Lincoln almost spilled his breakfast, but managed to place them on the table. Lori, suddenly aware of everyone staring at her, quietly turned back to her phone and started whispering into the speaker.

"Sorry about that, boo boo bear. I was just surprised, is all. Well, good luck with that visit to your folks. Hmm? What's that? Your sister apparently…" Lori suddenly realized where she was and turned to face Lincoln. All the sisters turned to face Lincoln, who looked slightly more down.

Lynn frowned herself. To the rest of the sisters, Ronnie Anne Santiago, Bobby's sister and known 'crusher' on their brother, was 'Lincoln's girlfriend.' To Lynn, she was 'Lincoln's secret girlfriend.' Seriously, the moment that she found out the circumstances that Lincoln and Ronnie 'broke up' under, she practically marched up to Lincoln and demanded his man card.

He 'broke up' their relationship because a bunch of guys teased him? What a wimp! What was worse was that those guys were probably even more lame than him, at least from what Polly told her. If it wasn't for Lincoln begging Lynn not to tell, and that he was already planning to try to make it up to Ronnie, then Lynn would have told everyone.

Still, "Operation: Make-Lincoln-Less-Of-A-Wimp-And-Confess-To-Ronnie-Properly" was now a go. Good thing for Lincoln, she had nothing to do today, which meant they could work more towards that goal. Suddenly having a goal for today, she chugged her now cold chocolate and scarfed whatever it was on her plate (it was probably pancakes). Grabbing her dirty dishes and putting them away, she looked around the corner to see Lincoln about ready to finish his breakfast.

Placing her hands on his shoulders, she loomed over him.

"So...you got nothing to do today? What a coincidence, me too. So how about we work on your courage?"

At the sight of Lincoln's eyes filling with fear, a small part of her felt crestfallen.

* * *

" _Alright, Linc, are you ready for day one of Operation: Make Lincoln Super Strong and Tough Like Ace Savvy By Playing Ball!" Lynn shouted, her trusty soccer ball in her hand._

" _YEAHHH!" Lincoln screamed, already imagining himself with Ace Savvy's muscles._

" _Alright, Linc. Here you go. Just kick that ball as far as you can!"_

" _RAHHH!" Lincoln did his best battle cry as he ran towards the ball, ready to kick it with all his might. However, as he swung his leg, his foot only scraped the top of the ball. Lincoln fell to the ground, the ball only rolling a pathetic distance forward. Lincoln sat back up, starting to sniffle a bit._

" _Linc, you alright?" Lynn asked as she knelt down next to him._

" _I didn't kick it that far…" Lincoln whined as he pointed to the ball. Lynn shook her head._

" _It's fine, Linc. Just call it a botch. Here, hold on a second." She got up, picked up the ball, and placed it in front of Linc._

" _There, just stand up and kick the ball from here. Don't worry about getting a running start. Just kick the ball as hard as you can from there. Okay, and wipe your tears. I know you, Linc. You're tougher than that."_

 _His sister's words galvanizing himself into action, Lincoln got back to his feet, wiped away his tears, and planted his feet. After a few moments, he swung his leg, his foot catching the ball. The ball flew off the ground for a bit before rolling forwards, eventually stopping a good distance from Lincoln._

 _Lynn grinned as she slung an arm around Lincoln's shoulder. "You see that! That's a good distance. Keep it up and I'm sure you can be like Ace Sappy in no time!"_

 _Lincoln's smile turned into a frown. "His name's Ace Savvy, not Ace Sappy."_

" _Right, my point still stands, little Linc. How about we practice that a few more times?"_

* * *

'Alright, Day five of Operation: 'Make-Lincoln-Less-Of-A-Wimp-And-Confess-To-Ronnie-Properly' is currently off to a rocky start…' Lynn thought to herself as she caught the football that Lincoln had tossed.

She shook her head of just how weak Lincoln's throw is. There was no way that Lincoln was going to impress anyone, let alone Ronnie Anne. Alright, time to kick it up a notch.

"HEADS UP, LINC!" With that, Lynn threw the football half as hard as she could. Lincoln yelped as he saw the football come at him with the speed and force of a bullet. To Lynn's disappointment, instead of trying to catch it, he dodged it, letting it hit the fence behind him. , instead of trying to catch the ball, Lincoln yelped before closing his eyes and leaning to the side, the ball slamming itself against the fence. Lincoln's hands remained in a catching position, before he realized that the ball had passed him.

"What the heck was that, Linc?" Lynn asked him as he retrieved the ball.

"Let me ask you that, Lynn! I'm pretty sure that would have taken my head off if I tried to catch it." Lincoln retorted as he threw the ball back.

"Geez, stop acting like you got sensitive skin, you big baby. Just pretend that it's one of those lame guys teasing you. You'll need the practice when you talk to Ronnie."

Lincoln merely stared at her. "I think if she's trying to punch me, then I think that's the point where I go away and rethink my strategy."

Lynn shook her head as she threw another bullet-like ball at Lincoln. Lincoln actually tried to catch it, only to have it slip through his hands. His lungs expelled air as he fell back, the ball simply falling back down next to him.

"Geez, Linc. You're practically hopeless." Lynn shook her head as she walked over, looking down at Lincoln. "How do you think you're going to get back with Ronnie like this?"

"Gee, I don't know." Lincoln rolled his eyes from his downed position. "Maybe by first disregarding all your advice?"

Lynn's lips thinned. "Excuse me?"

"I mean," Lincoln got up and started to dust himself off. "What the heck does throwing balls at me have to do with my love life? What does any of it improve anything?"

"Alright, Linc. You wanna know what I was thinking, I was thinking that if you can face a ball, you can certainly face Ronnie head on in public."

Lincoln was incredulous. "That's has to be the stupidest reasoning I've ever heard!"

"HA! Then just face it, Linc. The only reason things are like this is because you were a chicken!"

At this point, the two were practically nose to nose.

"CHICKEN!" Lynn poked Lincoln in the stomach.

"CHICKEN!" Lynn poked harder.

"CHICKEN!" With that, Lynn shoved Lincoln back, making him stumble a bit.

With that, Lincoln glared at Lynn.

"WHO KNOW WHAT? I'D RATHER BE A CHICKEN THAN TO BE SOME PHONY, LONELY KNOW-IT-ALL JERK LIKE YOU!"

"...what?" The smallness of Lynn's voice made the whole atmosphere suddenly freeze. The two stood there for a bit, before…

"Lincoln, do you mind cutting your playtime with Lynn short? Charles here needs his walk." Mom said as she held out a leash with an anxious Charles on it.

"Uh…" Lincoln took a quick glance at Lynn before nodding. "Sure."

With that, Lincoln immediately took off, taking the leash and closing the door, leaving Lynn alone in the backyard. Her lips thinned, she walked over to her football and picked it up. Feeling the coarse skin on her palms, she threw against the fence before entering the house.

"...Stupid Linc."

* * *

Author's Note: HOLY BEJEEBUS! I was not expecting to spend this long on the intro, and admittedly, a bit sloppy on the ending there too. Hopefully, this chapter got across what I wanted to convey. And yeah, this is going to be my NaNoWriMo project, my very first attempt. Though looking at the current plans, as well as how long I made this chapter, it might go over 50K.

Also, I'm not using my author note to increase my word count…

That's what the line breaks are for.


	2. Man In A Pill

" _ **Lynn, pass it back to me!" Four-year-old Lincoln shouted, waving his arms. Six-year-old Lynn smiled brightly as she lightly kicked the soccer ball back to him. It was a beautiful day outside, the sun shining overhead with not a cloud in sight, a cool breeze offsetting whatever heat the sun gave without smothering it completely. The two were just outside their house in their backyard, engaging in a nice, friendly game of soccer.**_

 _ **As far as Lynn was concerned, it was perfect.**_

" _ **Lynn, watch this!" Lincoln shouted. After Lynn nodded to show she was paying attention, Lincoln started to pose, in a crude copy of a karate pose he probably picked up watching her practice in her karate classes. After a few more poses, his arms were above his head, his hands folded inward, and one leg in the air, level with the ball.**_

" _ **CRANE KICK!" Lincoln shouted, jumping a bit before kicking the ball hard, sending it flying hard to the left. Lynn's eyes widened, before her eyes left Lincoln to track the path of the ball. Predicting where the ball was going to end up, she stretched her leg out, and blocked it. The ball smacked into her calf, a brief shock of pain before becoming nothing.**_

 _ **Tick.**_

 _ **Lynn's ears perked up, hearing something. She looked around, trying to discern where it was coming from. To her disappointment, the breeze had started to pick up a bit, the small howls drowning out the out of place sound she was hoping to hear.**_

" _ **Hey, Linc, you hear that?" She asked, hoping her younger brother might have picked up something that she didn't.**_

" _ **No, what do you mean by that?"**_

" _ **I mean-" Lynn began as she looked up to her brother to only to freeze a bit. There was her brother and yet there was something about him that seemed...off. After comparing this Lincoln to the Lincoln that she did know, she eventually found the difference.**_

" _ **Linc, did you get taller?"**_

 _ **Lincoln looked at her funny. "What you talking about, I've always been like this. Come on, kick it back already."**_

" _ **Huh." Lynn said to herself before kicking the ball back.**_

 _ **Tick.**_

" _ **There it was, again! It was there, I know it was!" Lynn shouted, very sure that there was something there. Her head was practically on a swivel, trying to determine where the sound was coming from, or even what it even was.**_

" _ **Lynn, are you okay?"**_

 _ **Lynn turned back to look back at Lincoln, only to blink. Rubbing her eyes again, she looked again. Nope, she was sure that Lincoln was now a bit taller and looked a bit older.**_

" _ **I-I should be asking you the same thing, Linc."**_

" _ **Really?" Lincoln looked down at himself, trying to find the reason why that Lynn was starting to become uncomfortable. A few grey clouds started to form overhead while the breeze began to become a bit colder.**_

" _ **Nope, I don't feel any different, Lynn." Lincoln said, completing his self-inspection. "Come on, let's play some more."**_

" _ **Umm...okay…" Lynn hesitated for a bit before kicking the ball to Lincoln. Even before the ball reached him, Lincoln bent his leg back before kicking the ball, the speed forcing Lynn to track and take her eyes off Lincoln. And as soon as she looked up again, Lincoln got taller and bigger.**_

 _ **Kick the ball back. Ball comes back. "Come on, Lynn!"**_

 _ **Tick.**_

 _ **Kick the ball back. Ball comes back. The clouds were threatening to cover the sun. "Come on, Lynn!"**_

 _ **Tick.**_

 _ **Kick the ball back. Ball comes back. The wind was practically biting into her flesh.**_

" _ **Come on, Lynn!"**_

 _ **Tick.**_

 _ **Kick the ball back. Ball comes back. She now knew what the sound was.**_

 _ **Tick.**_

 _ **Kick the ball back. Ball doesn't come back. Lynn looks up.**_

 _ **The ball was simply there, on the ground next to Lincoln's sneaker. He looked like the epitome of the bored teenager, his eyes glued to his phone, his fingers a mile a minute as he caught up with all his friends. All his attention were on them, and none of it was on her.**_

 _ **And she felt a deep hurt in her heart because of it.**_

" _ **Lincoln."**_

 _ **Tap Tap Tap.**_

" _ **Lincoln!"**_

 _ **Tap Tap Tap.**_

" _ **LINCOLN!"**_

" _ **WHAT?!"**_

 _ **Lynn flinched as Lincoln shouted, his attention off his phone for a second, his angered expression staring her down.**_

" _ **B-B-B-ball?" Lynn sniffled, pointing at the ball next to his feet. Lincoln looked down and saw what Lynn was talking about.**_

" _ **Oh." With a look of supreme disinterest, Lincoln lightly kicked the soccer ball, not even making it halfway towards Lynn. The wind then picked it up and forced the ball to roll farther away from Lynn.**_

 _ **Just then, a car pulled up near the house, and the car window rolled down. Lincoln looked up from his phone and smiled. Lynn tried to see who he was smiling at, but couldn't see anything.**_

" _ **Hey dude!" The voice sounded distorted and weird, not sounding like anyone that Lynn knew.**_

" _ **Yo dude!" Lincoln greeted as he jumped over the fence before walking over to the car. Lynn tried to do the same thing, before Lincoln noticed her trying to do the same thing as him.**_

" _ **Dang it, Lynn!" Lincoln shouted as he grabbed Lynn by the pits and put her down back into the backyard, his eyes only filled with the annoyance one would feel handling an especially rowdy kid. "Don't do that! I already have to play your dumb games, don't make me have to make sure you don't get hurt."**_

" _ **T-They're not dumb." When did her brother get so mean?**_

" _ **Hey dude, we're going to this party on the far side of town. You want in?"**_

" _ **Heck yeah I do!" Lincoln replied back to the people in the car, before walking towards them. "Later, Lynn."**_

" _ **Lincoln, wait!" Lynn shouted as she ran for the gate. Opening it, she saw Lincoln already getting into the car, the closing door concealing him from sight. The car started and began to move forward.**_

" _ **Lincoln, WAIT!" Lynn screamed as she tried to beat on the back of the car. Yet as slow as the car was, it moved fast enough to still be out of her reach. As fast as she could run, she could never quite make it that extra inch. Tears started to leak as she reached futilely for the car, that was starting to pick up speed.**_

 _ **Even as the gap started to get larger and larger, Lynn tried her best to keep up. Suddenly, something tangled up her feet, making her trip. Even so, she reached out for the car as she fell forward, and fell, and fell and fell falling falling…**_

* * *

"AHHH!" Lynn screamed as the falling sensation suddenly stopped as she fell from the couch. Quickly looking around her, she saw that her legs were tangled up in the blanket that she had been using. As she started to free her legs, she soon realized that she had an audience to her little blunder.

"Whatever you're thinking, Luan," Lynn growled as she looked at Luan, holding a video camera in her hands and holding in a chuckle. "You better not."

"Oh, I don't know, Lynn. From what I'm seeing, this thing is practically worth its weight. By the way," Luan said as she turned the camera around so that Lynn could see what Luan had recorded on it. "Was there something 'running' through your mind?"

As the video played, Lynn saw herself sleeping on the couch. However, after a while, her hand stretched forward, with her legs soon after running in place. The motion tangled the blanket in her legs and brought her body closer to the edge, eventually falling to the floor. Looking closer at the video, she realized that there were tears starting to form at the edges of her closed eyes.

With a swift motion, Lynn grabbed the camera from Luan's hand, quickly located the file, and promptly deleted it.

"Geez, Lynn!" Luan said as she grabbed her camera back. "If you asked, I would have deleted it for you."

"Wanted to make sure it was deleted myself." Lynn said tersely as she folded the blanket.

"...Hey, Lynn, are you alright?" Lynn stopped folding as she looked at Luan, who looked a bit worried.

"Yeah, why?" Lynn replied.

"Well...I admit, the running thing was pretty funny. It's just that after what just happened, did you have a bad dream?" Luan asked.

Lynn stared at her, before blowing a raspberry. Picking up the blanket, she passed by Luan and started to climb up the stairs. "Me, get scared from bad dreams? Best joke that came from you, Luan."

"I never said you got scared, Lynn." Luan called out, a bit of worry edging her voice. As Lynn moved out of sight as she reached the top, Luan could only stare at the empty space a bit before leaving the room. As much as she would have liked to help her sister, it was clear that she didn't want it. Even as she started to mentally prepare her comedy routine for a gig tonight, part of her thoughts were still on Lynn, and hoping that she was going to be alright.

Lynn scoffed as she dropped the blanket off at the storage closet. Seriously, her, Lynn Loud Jr., scared of a bad dream? Heck, she didn't even remember what it was about.

Just as she was about to enter her room and wait out the remaining time before dinner, Lincoln stepped out of his room. Looking up, their gazes met each other before freezing, each a deer in front of the headlights of the other. Finally, Lincoln snapped out of his gaze first and took a few steps back into his room. His door closed as Lynn was left in the hallway by herself.

"Dang it." She muttered to herself as she entered her room. Not minding anyone that could be in her, Lynn walked over to her bed and flopped onto it face first. She remained in that position until even she couldn't handle the suffocating sensation of her face pressed up against her mattress. Shifting her face to the side, she glumly faced the wall as she tried and failed to stop the thoughts that were swirling around in her head.

Dumb, stupid Lincoln. Couldn't he tell that she just wanted to help him with his problems, just with the way she would like to? She could deny it as much as she wished, but already she knew that out of all the older sisters that Lincoln had, she was the last one that he would go to for help. Yes, even Leni, though the only type of help she could provide was giving him a living, breathing pole to talk to.

And she would have been alright with that, she would have been alright with the idea that Lincoln would have preferred going to Lori, Leni, Luna, or even Luan for advice. Heck, she did the same too. But, the only thing that would have kept her from feeling the things that were swirling inside her head had been taken from her.

On any other day, she liked Ronnie Anne Santiago. She was tough, rough, and made Lincoln do things that he might have never done with his other friend, Clyde. Only thing was that she was tough, and that meant that anything or anyone that bothered Lincoln now had to go through Ronnie.

That was supposed to be her job. She was supposed to be the big sister that protected her little brother, the one to chase off bullies and carry him to mom to take care of his bruises, and now Lincoln had Ronnie to do that for him. So now, if Lynn couldn't be the cool big sis that gave him cool life advice from time to time, and she couldn't be the tough big sis that stared her brother's bullies down and made them run with a crack of her knuckle…

Then what kind of big sister could she be?

"Kids, time to eat!" Dad called out. Lynn looked, debating whether or not she should go there...for about two seconds. Her stomach grumbled and she realized that she hadn't even eaten lunch that day. Well, can't deal with heavy thoughts like that on an empty stomach. Flipping to her back, she kicked herself off the mattress and back onto her feet, stopping to mentally pat herself on the back for the kip up.

Stepping out of the door, she took a big sniff of the air, before her tongue rolled out of her mouth. PIZZA NIGHT! And if she remembered correctly, Lori was out on a date, Leni was out on a mall shopping trip with friends, Luna was playing at a gig of hers, and someone had rented out Luan's business for tonight. Which meant 5 extra slices to...suddenly lose… down to her stomach.

Grinning at the sudden good turn to this saturday, Lynn immediately ran down the stairs, not caring about the noise that she was making. Turning the corner, her grin slid off her face as she stopped to take in the scene. Dang it, she should have known.

"Come on, Lynn, the pizza's getting cold." Her dad said, a bit oblivious between the look between Lincoln and her. Since four people were now missing at the table, her parents got the bright idea to seat the denizens of the younger table at the grown-up table. That also meant that Lincoln was sitting there too, even right next to the chair she usually sat in.

Darn it, she wasn't ready to face Lincoln and from the looks of things, so was Lincoln. His slice of pizza was now on the plate, and he tried his best to avoid eye contact. Lynn wanted to do the same thing, but her stomach grumbled again, reminding her of the calories that she needed to get.

'Pizza or face Lincoln? Pizza or face Lincoln? ...I need food.' Lynn thought to herself as she slowly sat down and grabbed a slice. Almost immediately, she started to scarf it down, trying to fill her stomach and leave before something awkward happened.

It was at that point that Lynn felt a pressure in her throat, and she suddenly started to have trouble breathing. Looking around, she saw a glass of water, unattended and totally there for her use. Grabbing it, she started to chug it down, feeling the water collide against the ball of pizza in her throat before they both passed through. Finishing the glass, she set it down with a sigh, her throat feeling a lot better.

"Lynn, that was my water!" Lynn looked up to see a disgruntled Lincoln looking at the spot where his glass of water was. Lynn shrugged.

"Come on, Linc. I was choking there, I needed it more than you."

"I could have gotten up and gotten you a glass if you wanted it." Lincoln grumbled. Lynn bristled.

"Didn't I say I was choking? Geez, grow up, you big baby…"

"ALRIGHT!" Their mom spoke up, startling all those at the table. "LINCOLN LOUD AND LYNN LOUD JR! WHAT IS WITH BOTH OF YOU? You were at each other's' throats at there earlier, and now here you are, ready to do it again? Is there something wrong?"

Lynn looked at Lincoln, who looked back at her.

"Nothing." "Nothing." They both responded, before going back to their pizza. However, while Lynn finished off her slice, Lincoln stared at his unfinished slice. Just as Lynn began to think how to sneak off with more slices, a plate with a half-eaten slice slid in front of her. Lincoln got off the table and started to walk away.

"Hey, you done already, champ?" Dad asked, turning his head to face Lincoln. Lincoln nodded as he came closer to the corner.

"Yeah, I don't feel hungry anymore." Lincoln said, and that might have been the end of it.

"Lincoln, hold it right there." Mom called out to him, and the authority in her voice made him stop. He turned around to face her.

"I don't know what is your problem with Lynn," Mom turned to Lynn. "Or what's your problem with Lincoln. But it ends right now. You two apologize to each other right now."

'Thanks, mom.' Both siblings grumbled as they looked at each other.

"Sorry, Lynn. Sorry I called you names." "Sorry, Linc. Sorry I did the same." Both spoke, trying to add the missing emotion and feeling that they weren't feeling at the moment. Then, as if both were reading the other's mind at that moment, both gave the other a one armed hug before giving one solid pat. As they did so, their eyes met for a moment and both agreed.

Their grievances with each other were not even done.

"That's better." Mom said as she went back to her dinner. Lincoln immediately walked up the stairs, as Lynn sat back at her seat and stared at the half-eaten slice of pizza her brother left her. When she wasn't looking, he probably licked all over it or something like that. Shivering, she quietly pushed her plate away from her.

Sneaky little brother, trying to get one over her.

But even so, as much as she denied and hated it, there was a part of her that felt sad. After all, her relationship with her bro wasn't that bad, right? There had to be plenty of good moments that they had together right? Like that time she posed as a model for a project of his when she and her sisters broke his original, or like that time…

Huh, how about some good times that was just specific to just them, just the two of them together, just having a moment? Well, there was that time where they took a bath together… And there was that time where she played around with Lincoln, helping him get big and strong like his hero, 'Mace Flappy'. Wait, was that right?

Actually, those moments took place a long time ago, back when Lori had acne or something like that. What about recently, ever since Lynn joined the grown-up table? Wasn't there a moment that hypothetically, if their lives to this point had been a cartoon, people could point to a past episode and say 'there, that's the precise moment that Lynn Loud Jr. proved to be an awesome big sister for her brother, Lincoln'?

...Seriously? Her brain couldn't even think of one recent, good moment she had with her brother? She seriously have anything like the time Lincoln helped Leni with her driving test? Or like Lola buying Lincoln his lucky red pair of underpants?

...Screw you brain.

Lynn only began to sulk before someone spoke up.

"Lynn, are you listening to me?"

The girl in question blinked before looking up, seeing her mother hold out a plate with a slice of pizza on it.

"Thanks, mom. But I'm honestly don't feel in the mood for seconds."

"No, sweetie." Mom shook her head. "This isn't for you, this is for Lisa. She is upstairs in her room, doing those experiments that she loves so much. Would you mind taking this up to her, so that she doesn't pass out from starvation? You know your little sister can get very, very single minded about this kinds of things."

The Sports Girl quickly took a look around the table and saw that of the younger sisters that were still there, the smart little sister that did more number crunching than crunches wasn't there. Knowing the pains of starvation, she took the place and got off her seat.

"Thank you, Lynn." "Yeah, no problem." Lynn replied as she left the kitchen. Quickly climbing up the stairs, she couldn't help but take a look at Lincoln's bedroom door, before turning to Lisa and Lily's room. Stopping in front of the door, she knocked on it.

"Come in."

Turning the door, Lynn prepared herself for whatever odors awaited her inside, from the smell of Lily's dirty diapers to whatever chemicals that Lisa was cooking up. To her surprise, the room smelled clean for the most part. Fully opening the door, she looked inside to find her much smart younger sibling.

Lisa had been standing next to some sort of wooden box, peering closely inside of it. Lynn thought about just putting the pizza in some corner and pointing Lisa to it before leaving. However, there was something about this particular experiment that made her curious. Coming closer to Lisa and whatever experiment she was running, she looked inside the box.

Standing where she was, she saw the top of the wooden box actually have a clear top of glass or some other same-looking material. In it, she saw a maze with a tiny white mouse in it, trying to navigate in it. However, even through her scientifically untrained mind, Lynn could tell that there was something weird about the mouse and how it moved.

It was always moving, never truly stopping. Everything it hit a dead end, it tried to push through the wall, before giving up and continuing down a new pathway. And it somehow always seemed to push forwards, towards the end. Finally, the little white mouse reached the end of the maze and started to feast on the bit of cheese that Lisa had probably gotten from their fridge.

"Hey, Lisa, I think you should probably hide this the next time Lana decides to visit your room."

Lisa shook her head as she raised the roof of the maze and grabbed the mouse. Keeping a tight grip on the squirming white ball of fur and flesh, she dropped it into one of the old balls that Geo used. The mouse started to push the ball forward, trying to head back to the maze and the cheese that had been left behind. Lisa noticed this, picked up the cheese, stopped the ball and dropped the cheese inside. The mouse gladly stopped, nibbling on the piece of solid yellow dairy.

"Your advice is welcome and wise, but ultimately unneeded. I have no intention of doing any experiments on any amphibians in the near future. Besides, live specimens provide more accurate results."

Well, time to keep a closer eye on Lisa and work more on her reaction time if the little scientist ever needed a 'research volunteer'.

"So, here's your pizza." Lynn said as she placed the slice on the cleanest part of the table she could find. Then she looked closer at a particular pile that was right next to the plate.

"Lisa, didn't Dad tell you to stop messing around with drugs?" She asked as she picked one pill up and waved it in front of her. Lisa swiped it back without missing a beat. Placing the pill back onto the pile, she walked over to a chalkboard that had a lot of numbers and letters that were probably equations or something like that.

Seriously, 'A' is a number?

"First of all, my physically minded older sibling, thank you for the nourishment, this will surely help in my future endeavors for the rest of the evening." Lisa said as she finished off the slice of pizza. Lynn looked back, only to see an empty plate.

Whoa, ninja.

"Second, these are not one of our paternal figures' sleeping pills or something of the same like. These pills are of my own invention. I will spare the details, since I'm sure you do not understand and do not feel like spending time to learn about the subject, so allow me to get to the, as you say, 'nitty gritty.'"

Lisa held up a pill. "This, here, is my new invention: the no-fear pill!"

Lynn blinked, suddenly feeling a lot more interested in this conversation than she thought she would be.

"The no-fear pill? Is that seriously the best name you could come up with?"

"Well, what did you want, the braver pill? Fear-Be-Gone? The product works so who cares about how the marketing will work. Anyways, in the most simplified explanation I can explain, this pill releases chemicals that can rework the brain's chemistry into finding more pleasure in activities that it associates with fear and worry."

Lynn's head had leaning to the side, a bit of smoke coming from her head. "Huh?"

Lisa removed her glasses and started to rub the bridge of her nose, trying even harder to think of an even simpler explanation.

"Okay, what I mean by that is the pill make you feel calmer in times you would find stressful or scary. Like this mouse here." Grabbing the ball with the mouse in it, she held it up to Lynn's face. Lynn stared at the little white mouse that had running around inside the ball, having finished its piece of cheese trying to find more.

Huh, the shade of white that the little mouse had looked really familiar.

"Normally during the maze, a mouse like this would be scared, not sure what is going on or what to do. Even when it decides to do something, it is cautious, backtracking and double checking, elements of a critter's natural instinct to survive and especially so for prey animals. However, through the use of this pill, that natural instinct has taken root into different actions. Instead of incertainty, it chooses to continue forward. It's quite fascinating, really."

Lynn looked at the pill in Lisa's hand, then at the pile of pills that were still on the desk. An idea was starting to form. A really good idea…

"Hey, Lisa. What do you think would happen if a person took one of your pills?"

The scientist rubbed her chin, starting to hypothesize what would happen.

"Well, that's a good question. I would think that the same things would happen, fear and anxiety of things would be reconstructed in the brain to instead be inert. For example, a person who has fears about public speaking decides to take this pill the night before. The next morning, as he walks up to give his speech, he's calm, even jokes around like he's having a normal conversation. Mind you, this is all hypothetical, of course. You see…

As Lisa started to talk about the pill and the possible side effects, she didn't notice the distracted look on Lynn's face. As a matter of fact, Lynn had already tuned out long ago, her mind already distracted by the images she saw in her head.

* * *

 **Lynn pointed to a specific spot in their backyard, before throwing the football. As the football gracefully flew through the air, a pair of eyes tracked the trajectory as their owner ran closer to the spot. Just as the ball was about to hit the ground, two hands stretched out and caught it, firmly clasping themselves around the ball. The body landed on the ground, but not before the person used the momentum to roll, eventually ending up upright.**

 **With a fiery passion, Lincoln pointed up to the sky, the sun seemingly shining behind the digit. Turning around, the white haired boy saw his sister running towards him, a big old grin on her face. Standing up, he jumped up just as her sister did, their hips touching before they both dropped to the ground. As soon as they touched the ground, Lincoln placed the football on its pointed end, and spun it like a top.**

 **Their mother opened the door and pointed out the time. The two grabbed their nearby backpacks and ran out to Vanzilla. No later than did they get in did the van get out of the driveway. As the houses became businesses, Lincoln sat by the window seat. Suddenly spotting a really pretty flower in a flower stand that was coming closer, Lincoln pulled out some money from his pocket. Opening the window, he snatched the flower and dropped a few dollars into the collection jar.**

 **Once at school, he started to roam the halls, carrying the flower like a precious jewel. His eyes were everywhere, trying to spot the one he was looking for. Once he spotted her, his expression became the most twitterpated.**

 **Walking up next to Ronnie Anne, he tapped her once on the shoulder. Once she turned around, a frown on her face as she wondered who was the idiot who touched her, she blinked as she saw Lincoln there. Just before she asked what was his deal, he pulled out the flower and gestured to her hair. Ronnie stared at him, suddenly blushing as Lincoln placed the flower in her hair.**

 **Looking back at him, she only saw that Lincoln was serenely smiling.**

" **You look wonderful."**

 **As Ronnie tried to control her blushing, a bunch of guffawing happened off to the side. Lincoln looked to see a bunch of his classmates pointing at him and laughing their butts off. Ronnie was about ready to tap him on the shoulder, before decking him and saving him from embarrassment. Lincoln shook his head before walking closer to one of them.**

 **Then Lincoln gave him some Sweet Chin Music.**

 **As the boy fell to the floor unconscious, the rest of the group stood slack jawed. Lincoln paid them no mind as he walked back to Ronnie, who shared the same expression.**

" **You know, Lameo, people are going to talk."**

 **Lincoln smirked.**

" **You know what, Ronnie?" With a swift motion, Lincoln grabbed Ronnie by the torso, spun her around and dipped her low. Ronnie's face at this moment practically redefined what could be called red.**

" **I don't give a-"**

* * *

"LYNN!"

Lynn suddenly shunted back into reality as she remembered where she was, what her idea was, and that there was an irate genius sister who looked miffed that someone in the room wasn't paying attention to her theories.

"Yeah, yeah, don't worry, Lister. I was listening." Lynn said as she walked back to the pile of pills. Grabbing a few of them, she quietly admired them.

"To think that these little guys could do all that you just said."

"Lynn." Lisa said as she brought the plate back. "Please put those pills back where they belong."

"Of course, of course." Lynn said, dropping one pill after another back into the pile. Taking the plate, she nodded to Lisa.

"Good luck with your experiments, and try to get out once in awhile. It was great weather today."

Closing the door behind her, Lynn smiled as she looked down at the lone pill that was still in her hands.

"Thank you, Captain Jack Sparrow."

* * *

Lynn laid on her bed, his mind easily doing more thinking than she had all week. Ideas were thought up, examined at every angle, then discarded as the next one was presented. She had been stuck in this cycle for the past hour, all just to think up the perfect way to get Lincoln to swallow the pill.

Upon getting the pill, Lynn was thrilled, until she realized that she still had to get Lincoln to swallow it. After all, she doubted he would swallow a pill he didn't know just because. Either Lynn had to come up with a reasonable lie, or she just had to trick Lincoln into swallowing it.

Gah, all this thinking was starting to make her thirsty. Getting up from her bed, the pill still in her pocket, she opened the door to the hallway and walked right out. Just as she was about to go down the stairs, one door opened as the room's owner started to walk out. Lynn noticed and smiled.

"Hey, Linc!"

Lincoln froze, before rubbing the bridge of his nose.

"Lynn, please. I already got a lot of stuff to do, please don't add more."

Lynn's raised an eyebrow. "Why's that?"

"Well, I just realized that I have a pretty big test when we go back to school, and I accidently put off studying!"

Lynn grimaced. Yeah, that did not sound fun. "Sorry to hear that, bro." Lynn said, genuine sympathy in her voice.

"Yeah, so just let me downstairs, get a cup of warm milk and then I'll get out of your hair."

Lynn felt a momentary ping of sadness, before it was washed away by the thrill of inspiration.

"Wait a minute, Linc."

Lincoln turned to face her.

"Look, about the whole thing earlier, how we make it all water under the bridge? Tell you what, you wait right there, and I'll get you your glass."

The white haired boy became suspicious.

"What's the catch?"

Lynn smiled.

"No catch. Just wait right there."

With that, Lynn rushed down to the kitchen. Perfect, she thought as she observed the empty kitchen. Grabbing a glass from the cup drawer and the milk from the fridge, she poured some milk into the glass before putting it in the microwave. Setting it to be warm, she waited a few moments from taking it out of the microwave. Placing the cup on the table, she took the pill out of her pocket.

Pill eventually dissolve, right? So it should still be the same if she pre-crushed it. With a single smash, the pill became powder, which Lynn dumped into the milk. Picking up the milk and making sure that not one drop was spilled, she carried it back to the top of the stairs.

"Here you go, bro. One glass of warm milk. Drink it all up."

"Thanks, Lynn." Lincoln said as he took the glass. Raising the glass to his lips, he let the liquid flow past his lips. After a couple of moments, Lincoln drained the whole glass.

"Alright, I'll go ahead and bring the glass down. Thanks again, Lynn." Lincoln said as he headed down, a little curious why Lynn looked so happy.

'No, thank you, Lincoln.' Lynn smiled.

'Operation: Make-Lincoln-Not-A-Wimp' is a success.

* * *

Author's Note:

So...I'm not asking people to condone Lynn's actions, I'm just asking people to understand.

Also, 11000 words in ten days?! Did I mention this is my first attempt?


	3. New Day, New Way

As Lincoln Loud opened his eyes, he awoke with the profound sense that something was missing.

Sitting up in his bed, he looked around his room, trying to see if there was something missing from his shelves. After a while he shook his head. All his drawers were shut, his posters were all in the same place, nothing major seemed to be missing or out of place. That was good, yet that didn't shake that ominous feeling.

Throwing off his covers, he removed his clothes and began to perform a cursory body examination. He started to make a habit out of this when he discovered that his brain had started to glow on some occasions, and as far as he knew, Lisa was still working on an antidote. After a while, and examining his own body's motions, he mentally gave himself a clean bill of health.

Still, the ominous feeling remained, and what worried him more was the fact that he wasn't feeling worried. It was a strange feeling, like he knew that he should be feeling one way yet just continued feeling the same. Right now, he knew he should have been more worried that he didn't know what he was missing, yet he was acting like he had lost a pencil when he still had a pile of them on his desk.

Lincoln was almost ready to tell someone about this phenomenon, because chances were that it was about to be the start of some crazy story that they could probably pitch to some cartoon company along with the stories of all the other crazy times that they had in this house. That was the plan until Lincoln's eyes spotted his study material regarding the test on monday. Upon remembering the impeding academic testing he was going to go through tomorrow, he… strangely felt fine about it.

...On second thought, maybe it was just the good night sleep he had. He sure as heck knew he needed more of that from time to time.

Walking to the door, he opened it…

"MORNING, LINCOLN! HOW AR-OHMYGOD, LINCOLN, PUT SOME PANTS ON!" Lynn screamed as she beheld Lincoln. Lincoln, gritting his teeth together as his ears rang, looked down and immediately blushed. Shutting the door quickly, he picked his pajamas off the floor and began to search through his drawers for his change of clothes for today. Hearing the ringing in his ears starting to dissipate, he could hear his other sisters starting to react to Lynn's noise.

"LYNN! WHAT THE HECK ARE YOU DOING SCREAMING AT THIS TIME? IT IS TOO LATE IN THE MORNING FOR THIS!"

"YEAH, I WAS HAVING A REALLY NICE DREAM ABOUT CHAZZ TAKING ME TO ITALY TO SEE THE EIFFEL TOWER!"

"YOU GOTTA ADMIT LYNN'S GOT SOME LUNGS, HECK, WE CAN PROBABLY GET SOME FEATHERS AND A RED GLOVE…"

"I'LL HAVE YOUR BUTT FOR INTERRUPTING MY BEAUTY SLEEP, LYNN!"

"COME ON, I WAS THIS CLOSE TO MAKING GODZILLA TAP OUT WITH THE ANKLE LOCK!"

"EVERYONE, SETTLE DOWN! IT IS TOO LATE IN THE MORNING FOR THIS KIND OF TOMFOOLERY!"

"THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN SAYING, LISA!"

"HOW ABOUT EVERYONE BE BLOODY QUIET!"

"POO POO!"

As everyone started to wake up and shout over each other, Lincoln realized something. If nearly everyone is arguing about being woken up, that meant they were probably still in bed, which meant…

Lincoln immediately gathered his stuff, opened the door and peered outside. Other than Lynn standing out in the hallway, there was no one at the bathroom. Lincoln immediately dashed out of his room, passing by Lynn, and into the bathroom. Closing the door, he took a sigh of happiness.

"First in the bathroom, what a first."

"I wouldn't say that."

Normally, when Lucy appeared behind him, Lincoln would jump, his heart temporarily jumping into his throat. Yet, at this moment, Lincoln was completely calm, still as he avoided turning around and seeing Lucy in some compromising position.

"Sorry, Lucy. I'll get out of your hair." With that, Lincoln left the room, leaving Lucy to tilt her head.

Just as Lincoln closed the door, Lynn came up to him.

"Morning, Lincoln."

"Morning, Lynn. I have to ask, did you really have to scream at me so soon in the morning?" Lincoln asked, unsure why Lynn even did it.

"Sure I did, Linc. Gotta keep you on your toes, you don't know when danger, or a ball, comes at you out of nowhere. So how are you today?"

"Fine." Lincoln replied, unable to see anything wrong with answering Lynn's question. Seemed innocuous enough.

"Cool. Cool." Lynn said, turning around, before suddenly spinning around, her hand clenched into a fist. "WAKE UP PUNCHES!"

Lincoln blinked, showing no fear to Lynn's sudden threat. And he didn't fear it. What was going on?

"Well, look at that. You didn't flinch. Guess you just get one!" With that, Lynn smacked Lincoln on the arm once, before moving downstairs, probably to help Dad with breakfast. Only did Lincoln notice that Lynn had been fully dressed and prepared for the day.

"GEE, SEE! YOU CAN GREET LINCOLN NORMALLY! LIKE THAT!" Lori shouted as she moved out of the room, seeing Lynn moving away. Looking around him, he saw the rest of his sisters move out of their rooms, slowly but surely forming the line to the bathroom.

"Morning, guys." Lincoln greeted. The rest of them just mumbled and grumbled out some returning greetings. Lori came up next to Lincoln, managing to nab the next spot in line.

"What did she even want to talk to you about anyway?" Lori asked, wondering why her more meatheaded little sister just blew the roof off.

Lincoln shrugged. "Beats me, I just opened the door, and then she just shouted right in my face. Then that happened. Don't know what to tell you."

"Lincoln, I'm done. You may use the bathroom next." Lori jumped as Lucy appeared behind Lincoln, her monotone expression unchanged. After calming down, Lori patted the area where her heart was and softly glared at Lucy.

"Lucy, don't do that in the morning. I already got one heart attack from Lynn, and I don't need more-" "Thanks, Lucy."

Lori's rant cut short as Lincoln patted Lucy on the head and went into the bathroom, closing the door softly. It took a moment to realize what exactly was weird about the situation. "Was Lincoln…?"

"Undisturbed by my sudden presence? Yes, he didn't react when I did it the first time today, so I was curious." Lucy said, her monotone voice having some kind of tone that Lori was surprised it had. It sounded like Lucy was… surprised?

"Maybe bro is just getting used to that little trick of yours." Luna suggested, leaning over from her position in the line.

"Well then, that's good. Maybe he can tell us where you are so you can STOP DOING THAT!" Lola shouted from her pink toy car.

"But I like doing that." Lucy said, the closest thing to petulance her tone could muster. "Still, it's very weird. I know that Lincoln would still be scared if I did that last week, and I don't know what's happened now to make him like this."

"Interesting." Lisa said, leaning over from her position in line. "If what you say is true, then such a phenomenon should be investigated."

"Lisa, no. I know that was kinda weird of Lincoln. But I'm pretty sure that doesn't mean he needs to get examined literally from the inside." Lori said, shaking her head.

"Very well. If that is what you wish." Lisa said, filing it away in her head to investigate later.

As Lincoln came down, fully dressed, he peeked inside the kitchen. Lynn was helping Dad with breakfast. As she set the last plate down, she noticed Lincoln peeking inside. Smiling, she came over to him.

"Hey, Lincoln. Come on and sit down, Dad's making pancakes for everyone today." Lynn said as she led him to his seat, and pulled it out for him. Lincoln sat down as Lynn set out his utensils.

"Here you go, Linc. All you need to eat the stuff that's gonna get you through this beautiful day. Don't be afraid to call me if you need anything."

Lincoln stared at Lynn for a while. "You want something from me, don't you?"

Lynn looked at him incredulously. "What? No, I can't just do something for my dear brother out of the sheer kindness of my heart?"

"That would be a first."

"GAH!" Lynn screamed, her arms windmilling for a bit as she forced her heart to return. "Geez, Lucy, give me bit of a warning, why don't you?"

"Hey, Lucy." Lincoln said calmly. Lucy ignored Lynn and stared at Lincoln, as if hard enough scrutiny would give her the answer to Lincoln's calmness. After a while, she sighed.

"Morning, Lincoln. You seem awfully tranquil today."

Lincoln shrugged. "I guess you can say that." He then turned to Lynn.

"Okay, Lynn, what exactly do you want from me today?" Lincoln stared at Lynn, hoping to get an answer from the athletically minded sister. Lynn stared back, before sighing.

"Soo... Lincoln, you wanna shoot some hoops with me later today? I promise it's just gonna be just the two of us, shooting some hoops and not trying to throw the ball at each other."

As Lynn finished her request, Lincoln already felt the need to say no. After all, the last time they played, they practically sniped at each other the whole day through yesterday. Frankly, they just got back to being friendly last night, and he didn't want to disrupt the peace they just managed to forge, at least not so soon. Part of him told him to just go along with the demand and satisfy Lynn's need for physical activity.

Yet another part of him told him to tell her no. It was cold and logical in telling him that the two of them were probably just going to get into an argument like yesterday, and it wasn't like she was going to be deprived of physical activity for long. After all, school was going to continue tomorrow and she could do sports as long as she wanted. Just as he was about to tell Lynn his answer...

"Oh, Lincoln, Lucy, Lynn!" Dad said, carrying a stack of pancakes into the room. "Can you tell your sisters that today is chore day?"

While Lincoln and Lucy nodded, Lincoln couldn't help but notice that Lynn's lips thinned before relaxing. As Dad left, Lynn smiled back at Lincoln before heading back. What was up with Lynn, he thought to himself as he got himself a pancake and started to dig in.

As he and Lucy ate in silence, the other sisters started to filter in, taking their seats and food off the piles in the middle of the tables. Scattered conversations soon broke the silence at the adult table, while the kiddie table was silent, each of those seated occupied with their own thoughts. Just as Lincoln finished his meal, he realized that there was one last pancake left and both Lola and Lana were reaching for it, not paying attention to the other.

Oh dear…

"Lana, what are you doing? That's my pancake!"

"Lola, you know I need it more than you. What I do requires way more energy than you do. SO GIVE IT!"

"I'm not ending up like those stick people, and I'm sure that you can go eat some mud to get your energy! SO GIVE ME!"

Just as the two were about to grab the last pancake and use it as rope for an impromptu game of tug-of-war, Lincoln grabbed it and brought onto his plate. Before the twins could complain, Lincoln got his plate and wiped it down as best he could. Cutting the pancake down the middle, he compared the two parts before giving one each to both of the twins. The twins looked down at the half pancake on their plates before looking at Lincoln. Lincoln didn't even shudder.

"What? I figured we save ourselves at least 3 minutes of screaming and arguing. It's too early in the morning for this." Lincoln then took up his dirty dishes and walked away from the table.

"Thank you, Lincoln, for curtailing that fledging argument and just simply presenting the obvious solution. It truly frustrates me that Lola and Lana can get so pigheaded." Lisa said, walking next to Lincoln.

"Give them time, Lisa." Lincoln sighed. "We're all kids here, and I'm sure we're entitled to a moment or two."

"...Are you sure you're Lincoln? You sound like him, yet you speak with the cadence of an old soul."

"Pretty sure, Lucy."

As the three deposited their dirty dishes into the sink, they took their place in line to roll the chore wheel. As he waited, he felt something tug on his pant leg. Looking down, he saw the pets, clearly begging him for food. Taking one look at the line that was forming, he shrugged to himself.

"Alright, come on guys. Let's get you guys something to eat."

By the time that Lincoln located each of the pet foods and filled their bowls with the stuff, the line was gone and nearly all but one part of the wheel had been filled. As Lincoln made his way, he saw his father waiting for him by the table. As he walked in, his father stood up and smiled at him.

"Hey, champ! You ready to help your old man move some boxes in the attic around?"

Lincoln smiled, though looked confused. "What, Mom wants you to toss some of the boxes."

Lynn Loud Sr. nodded. "Yeah, she's starting to complain that some of the things that I keep up there is just taking up space and that we might as well bring them to the thrift store."

Quickly, Lynn Sr. quickly sided up next to Lincoln, quickly looked around, and whispered in Lincoln's ear. "But listen, instead of me getting rid of them, I know a few places around the house where I can stash them. But can your old man count on your room being another storage?"

Lincoln raised his eyebrow. "Wait, Dad. Are you telling me to lie to Mom?"

Lynn Sr. shook his head. "Think of it as a favor to your old man. Come on, champ. What do you say?"

As Lincoln considered his options, he couldn't help but feel a bit of mischief rise up in him.

"I don't know, Dad. This does sound pretty serious…" Lincoln said, trying to hold in his smirk.

"Lincoln…"

"I mean, I'm gonna help you lie to mom about this. And you guys always taught me about how lying is bad…"

"Lincoln, please don't do this…"

"Mom…" Lincoln softly whispered, but clearly ready to raise his voice if needed.

"Okay, okay! Here's twenty bucks. Don't tell your mother, or even your sisters for that matter."

Lincoln smiled as he pocketed the twenty bucks. That was going straight to the new comic fund. Still…

"So what exactly is in those boxes, dad?"

* * *

A few moments later, both Lincoln and his father were in the attic, surrounded by dusty boxes, dusty knick-knacks, and just generally a dusty environment in general. Their sole source of light being a light bulb on a string, they picked through the boxes and what else they could have held.

'Gee, if it wasn't so dusty here, I'm sure that Lucy would love this place.' Lincoln thought idly to himself as he checked another box to see if there was anything that looked like Dad wanted to keep. After a while, he shook his head, before pushing it into a pile that he already categorized as "Junk."

Looking over at Dad, he couldn't help but smile as his dad seemed to lose himself in his memories, taking items out of the boxes, looking over them with a fond smile on his face. Then he would put them away in one of several piles, depending on the condition they were in, and then the cycle would repeat all over again. Just as Lincoln started to look over another box, Lynn Sr. called to him.

"Hey, son, check this out!" Putting the box to the side, he walked over to his dad, who was looking over a box filled with books and CDs.

"Hey son, check it out! I found all my old Pioneer books! Man, I remember spending whole afternoons lost in these pages."

"That's great, Dad. Is that all?" Lincoln couldn't help but ask.

"No, that's not all. Here, I found all my old CDs, including this one!" Lynn Sr. said as he held out a CD.

"Billy Ray Cyrus? Wasn't he that guy who played the Dad in that sitcom Lori used to like so much when she was twelve?"

"He was on a tv show?" Lynn Sr shouted before shaking his head. "But that's not important. I thought I lost this CD when your Mom and I moved. It's really important…"

Lincoln just wanted to finish up cleaning up the boxes, and part of him wanted to tell Dad that. Yeah, looking at him now, staring at the CD while some memory played in his head, he just couldn't do it. Mentally sighing to himself, Lincoln sat in front of his father.

"So, what's the story, Dad?"

Lynn Sr. looked up from the CD.

"Huh?"

"Dad, so what's the story? Why is that CD so important to you?"

Lynn Sr. smiled as he placed the case in between the two of them.

"Well, son. You can thank this little CD for keeping you mom and me together just when we were thinking about calling it quits."

"Huh?" Lincoln blinked. "Wait, you and mom almost...broke up? How did that happen?"

"Well," Lynn Sr. rubbed his chin as he started to recall. "It was around College, about our third year being together, and I remember that we were starting to encounter some road bumps in our relationship. I don't remember what they are, and I sure as heck hope they were important enough that I actually considered breaking up with your mother. Point is, your mother was starting to wonder if I was the right one for her, while I already knew that deep down she was the one for me."

"Still, I knew that I had to convince her and fast. So I listened to all my albums that I had, picked this one, and that night, I came over to her apartment, threw a few pebbles at her window, then started to sing."

"Guitar and all?"

"Guitar, dance moves, and all."

"Oh geez, Dad."

"Hey, I'll have you know that I won a few dancing trophies back in the day, sport."

"Wow, way to make me feel even worse about my empty spot."

"Oh...sorry about that, Lincoln."

"Stop it, I'm just messing around with you, Dad. So, I'm guessing that it worked out, right?"

Lynn Sr. smiled. "Sure did. Your mom stayed for the entire serenade, and the dance. In fact, the dance helped with dodging all the stuff thrown at me when your mom's neighbors started to throw stuff at me. Eventually had to leave when when they started calling the campus security to get me to go away. But hey, it worked, and here you guys are, all eleven of you. So you can go ahead and thank Mr. Billy Ray Cyrus here for keeping our relationship strong."

Lincoln smiled as he patted the case on the face. "Thank you, Mr. Billy."

Lynn Sr. took the CD and looked at the front, rubbing his chin. "In fact, I think we still have a CD player around here somewhere. I want to see if this old man still got his groove…"

"Uh, dad? Don't we still have some places here to clean? Besides, maybe you should save that for Mom, she sounds like she would like to see that…"

Lynn Sr. laughed as he smacked his hand on Lincoln's back. "Good idea, Lincoln! I'm sure your mom would to remember our passionate youth. Speaking of youth, here."

Lynn Sr. reached behind and dropped a decent sized box in front of Lincoln. Lincoln opened the box and looked inside. Then he looked up.

"Your clothes, from when you were my age?" Lynn Sr. smiled and nodded.

"Yeah, before you try donating those clothes, first try them out. Variety is the spice of life, Lincoln, and you could probably use something more than orange shirts."

Lincoln looked at the box at his feet, and then at the boxes that he still had to sort through. "So do you want me to bring this to my room, sort everything out, and then come back here?"

As Lynn Sr. nodded, Lincoln grabbed the box, took a deep breath, before lifting the box up, letting his knees take the brunt of the weight. Heading down the steps back to the second floor, he walked across the hall until he was in front of his room. Setting the box down for a bit, he opened the door, then picked up the box and walked inside, using his foot to close the door behind him.

Setting the box down on the bed, he opened it and peered inside. Majority of the stuff that was inside looked to be in pretty good condition, though whether in his size was debatable. 'Well,' Lincoln thought to himself as he took out one article of clothing.

'No time like the present.'

The next half hour was spent looking over each article of clothing and deciding what to keep. Some were too tight or too loose, so those joined the pile with other clothes he thought were in lousy condition. Others actually managed to fit his criteria, and he could always use some spare clothes.

It was near the bottom, that one shirt caught Lincoln's eye. After all, the majority of Dad's old clothes were more or less colorful, while the shirt was completely black. Taking it old, he let it unfold, only to realize that he was looking at it from the back and that there was a symbol near the neck of the shirt.

"New Japan Pro Wrestling? Huh, didn't know Dad used to watch…"

As Lincoln flipped the shirt over, he leaned back, slightly blown away. Staring at him was a facsimile to a skull and crossbones, if the skull was stylized and missing a lower jaw bone while the crossbones were AK-47s. Five bullets stood in a line on both sides of the crossbones, and a name sat proudly on the top.

"Bullet Club… Never heard of them, but man do they create a pretty cool shirt. Too bad Mom won't let me wear this to school…" Then Lincoln rubbed his chin before gathering all the items he wanted to keep into the box, including the shirt, and putting them in the box. Putting the box under his bed and making sure that it wasn't visible from the doorway, he nodded to himself.

"What Mom doesn't know, won't hurt her." Lincoln couldn't help but whisper, leaning over as if to tell an imaginary audience a secret. Stepping outside his room, he was ready to go back and continue helping his father in the attic.

"YO LINC!" Lynn shouted, running up the stairs. As soon as she saw Lincoln, her eyes lit up.

"So, done with your chores? So am I! How about say we shoot a couple of hoops?"

"Lynn, I'm not done yet with my chores. And even so, no."

Lynn paused for a moment. "What?"

Lincoln didn't stutter. "No, I'm not playing with you, Lynn. I don't want to go through something like yesterday again. Also, just look at me, Lynn. I'm thin, I'm bony, I wouldn't be surprised if my arms are just bones with sleeves. Why would you even want to play with me."

The Sports Girl blinked, caught off-guard by Lincoln's frankness. Honestly, part of her thought the same of Lincoln, yet to hear him say the same things about himself. "Dude, that's a little harsh, isn't it?

Lincoln then proceeded to pass by Lynn. "Harsh, but true. It's also sunday. Just wait until tomorrow, then you can go back to your sports practice. You got something tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah...football practice. But what am I going to do today?"

The white haired boy shrugged. "It's just one afternoon. I'm sure your body can handle it."

Before Lynn could stop him, Lincoln climbed back up the steps to the attic.

* * *

Author's Note:

Yeah, this chapter might have been a little bad but still pretty necessary, in my opinion. Let's say there are a few details in there that are going to be important later in the story. I was going to write more, but then I remembered that Lincoln doesn't exactly have much of a motivation for playing with Lynn, so that got cut.

Still, set-up is over, time to get into the meat.

So, feel free to put in a review and tell me what you like, what you didn't like, so I can continue trying to improve this story. I'll admit, the ideas that I have for this story are way different from the ideas I had when I started.


	4. To Look In A Mirror

Lincoln did his best to control himself on the bouncy seat of Vanzilla. All around him, the sounds of his sisters could be heard as they lost themselves in conversation. Outside the van, he watched the trees, the houses pass by, something catching his eye for a second, before it passed by him too.

Man, he was bored out of his mind. When were they going to get to their school?

...Oh, there it is. Grabbing his backpack, he righted himself as Vanzilla came to a stop, the bouncy seat threatening to throw him to the ground. As soon as he was sure he wasn't going to fall off, he opened the door and got out.

"Alright, have fun in schools, twerps." Lori called out before pulling out of the parking lot. Most of his older sisters waved back to him before turning around. Only Lynn continued to stare at him, only turning back to face the front when her neck simply couldn't continue turning. Lincoln stared at the retreating van for a moment, before looking for the rest of his younger sisters. They had already integrated themselves into the mass of students entering Royal Woods Elementary.

Lincoln nodded to himself, that was good. For a moment, he just wanted to think to himself for a moment. He started to walk towards the entrance of the school, allowing his feet to take him to his locker.

He had woken up this morning, knowing that he had a test today. Normally, that would worry him, yet today, the day of testing, he woke up feeling the same way he did yesterday, feeling completely calm and okay. Lincoln liked to believe he knew himself pretty well, and regardless of how well he usually did on testing (provided that Ms. DiMartino was subbing...Okay, he was starting to get better), there was always that one iota of nervousness that would refuse to go away until the moment that he set the pencil down and he was sure that he had all the right answers. But today, it just wasn't there…

Not to mention that Lucy had tried surprising him that morning at least three times, only to lead to the same result, calmness and a pat on the head for Lucy. Oh, he had gotten used to Lucy's actions, but only in the way you'd understand why a person would punch you in the face for a greeting, not when. To graduate to that level of calmness was weird, especially when he knew that Lucy pulled that on him friday and he literally leapt out of his socks.

Now once was weird, and twice was a coincidence, but three times? After all, he could explain away the nonexistent test anxiety, and the non-surprise, but actually telling Lynn no? Yesterday, he actually did it, he actually managed to tell Lynn no, and he didn't care about if Lynn retaliated. The moment he thought of Lynn angrily yelling at him, threatening him with a baseball bat, he felt…

nothing.

At that moment, Lincoln knew there was something up with him. He had thought about it the rest of the night, even as he read through his study notes, and during breakfast, thoughtlessly shoving cereal into his mouth. However, even though he had dedicated a great amount of time to it, he still wasn't sure what it was that he was missing or even if he could truly explain. All he could hope for was that the day could go quickly, and he could go to Lisa for a decently quick solution that didn't involve vivisection.

Now coming out of his thinking, he realized that he was in front of his locker. Entering his combination, he opened his locker and began to get all the materials he needed for the classes ahead. Before he knew it, he felt that there was someone behind him.

"Hey, Lincoln!"

Lincoln smiled as he turned to face his best friend, Clyde McBride.

"Clyde, how you doing, bud?" Lincoln greeted as he pounded fists with his friend.

"Pretty good, Lincoln. Sorry that I couldn't hang out with you this weekend, but my parents took me to this two day spa treatment. I have to tell you, my pores have never felt as clean as they do at this moment."

"No problem, Clyde." Lincoln said as he closed his locker door. "I got some extra studying done this weekend, so win-win as far as I know."

"So, guessing you're feeling pretty confident about the test today with Mrs. Agnes?" Clyde asked as the two started to walk towards their first class.

"Totally, dude. Absolutely no fear here." Lincoln said, smirking as he pointed to himself.

"Cool. Hey, by the way, I heard about this cave in town that supposed to be haunted with something. Wanna check it out after school?"

Lincoln's interest perked. "Really, what's the story?"

Clyde smiled as he started to explain. "Well, I've been hearing rumors that apparently the cave lights up sometimes, even though it's supposed to be completely empty, no homeless or anything."

"Hmm... " Lincoln rubbed his chin, before nodded. "Sure, why not?"

"Awesome!" Clyde exclaimed. "So where should we meet after-"

"Hey, Ronnie! Nice haircut, it really brings out the sparkle in your eyes!"

The two of them stopped as soon as they heard Ronnie's name, but for different reasons. Yet both couldn't help but to turn their heads to face the disturbance. A group of girls were giggling, lightly pointing at Ronnie Anne, who continued to staring forward, refusing to give them any attention. Everyone else momentarily stopped to look at her, clear surprise on their face.

After all, it wasn't like you saw one of the toughest girls in Royal Woods Elementary sporting a new hairstyle that could be called 'girly.'

Ronnie Anne no longer had her hair in its regular ponytail style, but instead freely flowed down to her shoulders. Instead of being straight, it looked like someone had taken it through a curler, making it wavy. Now that Lincoln thought about it, didn't Lori say something about Bobby, and by extension, Ronnie going to see their cousins in the city? Still, he had to admit that all his errant thoughts were just a distraction from what he was thinking.

'Wow, Ronnie does look cute with that hair.'

"Lincoln, she's coming this way. Don't make eye contact or she'll probably put two sloppy joes down your pants!" Clyde whispered furiously.

Lincoln didn't pay any attention as he watched Ronnie come closer. As she passed by, her eyes flicked up to him, and their eyes met for a bit. Her lips twitched at the corners, before she looked back up ahead. Lincoln watched her even as her back was turned to him, and he didn't go unnoticed.

"Why, Lincoln… Did you see something you like?" Clyde asked with a bit of a mocking smile to him. Soon, other boys noticed this and smirked.

"Aww, look at the loverboy right there!"

"Do you want to hold her hand?"

"Sing her a song, dude! Maybe she will swoon right into your arms!"

Lincoln turned to look at the boys that were starting to tease him, jeers and taunts spilling from their mouths like someone turned on a faucet. At that moment, Lincoln was struck with a realization: why did he care about these guys' opinion? Did he seriously go along with Ronnie's idea just because he didn't want to get teased?

Why was he so pathetic? Emphasis on the 'was' because that stopped now.

Pushing the teasing out of his mind, he called out as he started to walk briskly.

"Ronnie!"

The Hispanic girl turned around, only for her eyes to widen as she saw him coming forward, a smile on his face. Suddenly, all the teasing and taunts turned silent, and Lincoln did his best to hide his smirk. Lincoln finally stopped in front of Ronnie.

"Hey, Ronnie. New hairstyle today?"

Activity in the halls practically came to a stop as everyone stopped to stare. About half of them started to pray for Lincoln's soul.

"Yeah…" Ronnie said distastefully as she lazily wrapped a lock around her finger. "Why, you want to comment on it? Go on, say what you want before you receive your morning knuckle sandwich."

While Ronnie's mouth was in a scowl, he could already see Ronnie's eyes asking him. 'Lame-o, what do you think you're doing? People are going to start talking.'

Lincoln's smile merely got stronger. "I think you look pretty today, Ronnie. I really do."

"Yeah, well, I don't- wait, what?" Ronnie gaped as she looked at Lincoln clearly, red now dusting her cheeks.

"You know you heard me the first time. I said, you look pretty today." Lincoln said, pouring as much sincerity as he could into his words. Ronnie merely stared, his brain trying to actually process what is actually happening at this moment.

"Oh my god! YOU LIKE RONNIE!" At that moment, Lincoln's smile turned into an unamused grimace as the group of boys practically laughed at him. A few other boys started to join in, while the girls either looked annoyed with them or looked at him and Ronnie as if they were a couple from a soap opera about to confess their love.

"Lincoln… They're making fun of you." Ronnie whispered, eyes averted. Lincoln leaned in close, whispering in Ronnie's ear.

"I don't care...and I'm sorry. Sorry that I cared more about getting made fun of."

As Lincoln leaned back, he saw Ronnie return his smile. "Apology accepted, Lame-o."

Lincoln changed his expression to look hurt. "What, I don't get to graduate from 'Lame-o.'

Ronnie shook her head. "Nope, but let me tell you, you're closer now. Well, I think we spent enough time here. I think the bell is about to ring."

At the sound of that new information, everyone immediately turned away from them and starting hurriedly getting ready for next class.

"So...you really want to do this, Lincoln? You could still tell them that you just came out of the dentist and you're still woozy."

Lincoln nodded once.

"Yeah, I'm sure. In fact, going my way?" Lincoln grinned as he took hold of Ronnie's hand. Ronnie only blushed as she let Lincoln lead her away. All the while, Clyde's jaw hung open.

"W-What?"

* * *

The lunchroom was as busy as it could be, trying to house all the students who had come into its space looking to grab something to eat. Doubly so for Lincoln, who was wanting something to eat after the testing that he had to do in Mrs. Johnson's class. Sure, he didn't feel anxious before, during, or even after the test, but testing is testing and man, he could use a fill up. Still, he was hoping for a relatively peaceful lunch, since…

"Really, you guys were in a secret relationship, and you didn't tell your best friend that? How could you, Lincoln?! I thought we were bros, tight, two peas in a pod!" Clyde angsted as the two of them got their lunches and began to look for a place to sit.

"Dude, you were joining along with them. No offense, but that kinda hurts." Lincoln responded evenly as he spotted Ronnie waving him and Clyde over. "Come on, Ronnie saved us a spot."

As the two began to make their way over to Ronnie, Lincoln's eyes brushed over the group of boys that quite frankly, he didn't even know their names, or at least didn't care enough to put the right name on the right faces. The group noticed Lincoln, before starting to mockingly make kissing noises. They stopped as soon they realized that the white-haired kid already stopped paying attention.

"Nice shut down on those guys, Lame-o. Never seen a group of guys like that clam up so easily." Ronnie smirked as Lincoln and Clyde set their trays on the table and sat down on the table.

"Seriously, is this happening? Are you guys really… It just doesn't seem real." Clyde muttered, shaking his head.

"Then don't believe it." Lincoln snarked as he grabbed his milk and took a drink. "Still doesn't stop it from being true."

Clyde stared at Lincoln before shrugging and returning to his food.

"So, Ronnie. Guessing as soon as school's over, you're gonna go home and wash it off?" Lincoln asked as he took a bite of his sandwich. Hmm, ham and cheese. Eh, it will do.

"You know it, Lame-o." Ronnie said as she resisted the urge to immediately mess it up. "One of my cousins gave my hair a makeover and my mom made me agree to let stay on for today, just so I showed appreciation for my cousin's work. Now that I think about it, her and your sister Leni will probably get along pretty well, she also happens to be obsessed with fashion and shopping."

"Really, any other things I should know?"

"Yeah, no offense to Leni, but I think my cousin could give an actual color as her favorite color. Oh, and she could probably pick Leni up and use her as a battering ram."

Lincoln quickly imagined what Ronnie's cousin could look like, thinking of Leni, but with darker skin and biceps that would definitely choke him out.

"Remind me not to tell them about any deals in the mall, Leni might actually agree to become a battering ram for your cousin if it means better deals."

Ronnie chuckled. "Noted."

"Does my eyes deceive me? Have you truly thrown away the veil of deception, Lincoln?"

Ronnie and Clyde jumped as soon as they realized that Lucy was there. As Ronnie placed a hand on her chest, Clyde was able to turn from Ronnie's direction and spat out his food. As the two of them started to calm down, Lincoln merely nodded.

"Yeah, we decided to stop hiding."

Lucy's lips upturned slightly, the expression foreign but beaming.

"Well, it's about time. Also, you might want to prepare yourself in about… two seconds."

"Huh?" Lincoln didn't have the chance to say more before two pint-sized torpedoes slammed into his midsection. Wrapping his arms around the two people as he fell to the ground, he grunted as he felt his back collide against the ground. The chatter reaching his ears, he looked up to see Lola and Lana, their eyes shining with energy.

"So it's true, you and Ronnie made it official?!"

"I knew you had it in you bro!"

"So where's the first date? I can totally ask some of the girls that I'm friendlier with about some spots you should definitely check out."

"Or I bet you could totally ask Lori to help you reserve a table at Gus'."

"EWW! Lana, why should Lincoln bring Ronnie to that dump? Their first date needs to be somewhere more romantic!"

"But it is romantic! Can you imagine them dancing on that dancing game over there? Them dancing in sync, yet in a brief moment, their hands touch…"

"Then they could actually go dance for real somewhere that is better for them!"

"Well, that is the best place for them!"

"NO IT ISN'T!" "YES IT IS!" "BOTH OF YOU STOP AND GET OFF!"

Lola and Lana stopped and looked at Lincoln, who was looking incredibly annoyed at the moment. As the two scrambled off, Lincoln stood back up and dusted himself off, before staring evenly at the twins.

"Guys, I appreciate your enthusiasm, but me and Ronnie just want to take it easy right now, okay? Also, if I want advice, please respect that I will ask for it, okay?" Lincoln said, before sitting back down.

As the twins stared back at him, slightly bothered by the edge of authority that he was putting in his voice, Clyde spoke up. "Okay, Lincoln, is there something up with you today? First, there's you and Ronnie…"

Clyde noticed Ronnie's unamused expression.

"Not that there's anything wrong with that, but just now you just shut down Lola and Lana when they were starting to get into an argument. I don't know how or why, but it feels like you changed, dude."

"First order of business, I would like to congratulate you for your romantic relationship, and I hope that it bears fruit in time." Lisa greeted as she sat next to Lincoln. "Secondly, I agree with Clyde, and frankly, me and your siblings have noticed your strange behavior. Care to give some explanation?"

Lincoln took a quick look around, all those who were sitting at the table were now paying close attention to him. The white haired boy turned to Lisa, clearly waiting for an answer. Here it was, a way to tell Lisa that there was something up with him, that maybe his behavior was irregular and that steps should be taken to get him back to normal.

Yet, if he was being honest, was what he was under bad? After all, as much as he hated it, without this condition, he never would have the courage to actually commit to his relationship, to bear the teasing just so Ronnie wouldn't have to pretend. He had the ability to actually say no to Lynn's demands, to stand up to the storm that was the twins' infamous fights.

And he liked it. When you boil it down to the bare facts, he liked this condition. So what to say?

"Well, for Lucy, I say that I'm starting to get used to it."

Ronnie and Clyde seemed to accept that answer. Lisa and his little sisters seemed less than convinced.

"As for everything else…" Lincoln gathered his thoughts.

"I guess you can say, I decided to look in the mirror, stare at myself, and ask 'Am I happy? Happy to be me? Proud to be me? Is the person looking back at me someone I can respect?"

Lincoln looked down, fully knowing the answer might be upsetting.

"My answer was no."

It was strange, how the chatter from the rest of the cafeteria seemed to be so distant, so far away from the bubble of absolute quiet that suddenly appeared at their table. Then Lucy came over and hugged him, followed by Lola and Lana. He could already feel their eyes staring at him, probably trying to find the right words. Finally, Ronnie decided to push forward.

"Lincoln, you do know that Lame-o's just a nickname? You're not lame…"

"What Ronnie said." "Yeah."

"Lincoln, if you want, I can try scheduling you a visit to my psychologist…"

Lincoln tried not to sigh as he slowly slid his tray out of the way. Something told him that lunch was over. Still, he did appreciate their attempts to cheer him up.

It's just that even if you have everyone's love, it didn't mean much if you couldn't feel the same way about yourself.

* * *

"Really, Clyde, I'm fine." Lincoln answered as he and Clyde walked up to the 'haunted cave' as Clyde claimed. For the most part, school had gone off without a hitch, if only with his siblings and friends now concerned for him. And no doubt that when his younger sisters told his older sisters about his lunchtime confession, he would have to endure the same thing that he was getting from Clyde.

"I'm serious, Lincoln. If you're really feeling that way, you should talk to someone. Trust me, feelings like that shouldn't be bottled up…"

"Clyde…" Lincoln sighed as he turned to Clyde. "I appreciate that you care, and that you want to help. Believe me, I am probably going to hear from my sisters again about this. But let me make something clear: I'm not suicidal. I'm not, I just want to change, be someone that I can actually be proud of, be happy of."

"So Ronnie was…"

"The first step to that, and frankly, she deserves better." Lincoln said as the two continued navigating through the forest, the sound from the neighborhood getting weaker every step they took.

"Okay, dude. If that what you want, just know that if you want to, my door is always open and that my psychologist is on speed-dial."

Lincoln nodded. "Alright. By the way, how far are we from this cave?"

"Umm...there! There it is!" Clyde shouted as he pointed to a cave near a clearing. As the two walked into the clearing, they observed the area. The cave was part of a small cliff-face, and other than the faint sounds of the neighborhood behind them, there seemed to be no signs of civilization around them.

"Hey, Clyde. What was the story behind this place again? Was there anything like ancient burial grounds, abandoned mining site, or even last resting place of a known witch?"

"Uhh… Nope, nothing I can remember. All the stories I've heard about this place is that whenever people came close at night, they start hearing voices telling them to go back."

"Really? Well, let's keep a look out for a crazy old man who starts telling us about the 'creeper who lives around these parts.'"

"In case he turns out to be the monster with a cheap suit?"

"In case he turns out to be the monster with a cheap suit, who happens to be hiding his treasure."

Coming closer to the cave, the two took out miniature flashlights and turned them on before starting to venture deeper into the cave. Looking around them, there was nothing to suggest anything out of the ordinary. Yet as they walked deeper, they soon smelled something.

"Whoa, what's that smell?" Clyde asked as he held his nose. Lincoln took a brief whiff of the air.

"Smells like...cigarette smoke. I think it's coming from this way." Lincoln said, pointing to one part of the cave.

As the two came across the end of the cave, Clyde felt something under his foot. Pointing his flashlight downwards, he blinked in confusion as he picked the item up.

"Hey, Lincoln. Do you think ghosts smoke cigarettes?" Clyde asked, examining the empty box of cigarettes.

"I don't think there was any ghosts here, just a hobo's hangout."

Clyde looked up at Lincoln. "What makes you say that?"

"The reason why there's beanbag chairs, a lamp, and a lot of empty bottles and boxes around." Lincoln said, flashing the flashlight around to show all the items in the cave.

"Oh." Clyde said as he pointed his own flashlight around, viewing the room. "Wait, why would whoever has this place even start spreading rumors about ghosts here? If they wanted to hide this place, just let the isolation do it for you. It's not like people come up here anyway."

"Yeah, I guess they must have been hammered when they thought of the idea." Lincoln said as he turned away. "Come on, there's nothing here. Let's get out of here."

"I don't think so."

Clyde screamed and dropped his flashlight, leaving Lincoln to shine his flashlight in the direction of the voice. There, three teenagers stood illuminated, darkly scowling at the two. The three looked like your regular rough kids, with torn jeans, t-shirts and jackets with crude imagery, and hair that didn't look combed. The one in front had his lips around a lit cigarette, it glaring up as the teenager took a quick drag, the ash drifting down to the floor.

"So...What the hell are you little snots doing here?" The one in front asked.

Clyde was about to answer, before Lincoln placed a hand on him and shook his head, before facing the leader.

"We were here because we heard that there were ghosts in this cave, so we wanted to check it out."

The leader's eyes narrowed. "You sure that was what you were doing here, Snow White?"

Lincoln didn't react to the nickname, he could already tell they were on thin enough ice.

"Totally, we didn't even know you guys were here. We're really sorry and we promise that we won't come here again, or tell anyone about what you do here."

The lead guy finished smoking his cigarette and let it fall to the ground in front of him. Taking an exaggerated step forward, he crushed the cigarette butt underneath, making sure to grind it down to powder. Walking up to Lincoln, he leaned down, staring right even to Lincoln's eyes.

"You promise not to tell?" The guy said, his eyes unblinking.

"Cross my heart." Lincoln replied simply, meeting his gaze.

The two stared at each other a bit longer, trying to size up the other. Finally, the guy's eyes flicked up, his hand reaching up and pulling out a lock of Lincoln's hair. Lincoln didn't react.

"Holy, guys, check this out! This kid's hair is totally white!" The guy laughed, gesturing to his friends. The other guys walked forward, looking at Lincoln's hair, and their laughter soon following.

"Wow, I thought this kid just dyed his hair or something. Isn't there a condition for this kind of crap?"

"Nah, he doesn't have the weird eyes to go with it."

Lincoln just stood still, hoping that the guys would stop touching and let him and Clyde go. Finally, the hands came off, and the leader of them smirked.

"Alright, Snow White, you and your friend are free to leave. And if you talk," The leader chuckled. "I'm sure we can find one white haired kid."

"Right, thank you. Come on, dude. Let's get out of here, nothing important." Lincoln said as he led Clyde out of the cave. Yet as he did, he could hear the teenagers start to argue.

"Mike, I told you that whole ghost thing wasn't going to work!"

"Sorry, man."

"Seriously, just as we found an old guy willing to sell this stuff to us, and a sweet spot to cut loose…"

'Old guy willing to sell?'

* * *

'Who would be willing to sell to a bunch of teenagers cigarettes and alcohol? You'd have to be pretty greedy - It's Flip.' Lincoln thought to himself as he walked home, after making sure that Clyde got over his panic attack. He carefully looked over the box of cigarettes that Clyde accidentally carried out.

'Makes sense, Flip would probably do anything for a buck. If a bunch of kids offered money for stuff he has, he would totally take it, provided no one was watching him. Still, what do I do with this info?' Lincoln wondered to himself, before looking up and seeing his house. Realizing that he was still holding an empty box of cigarettes, he dropped the box next to the gutter.

Opening the front door, he called out. "I'm home!"

"Bro, you're early! Something happen to you, dude?" Luna called out as she came down the steps, bass in hand.

"Luna, anyone else home?" Lincoln said as he set down his backpack.

"Naw, dude. Pretty sure everyone got something to do today. Which just leaves you and me with the house, at least until practice for me and baby right here."

"Cool." Lincoln nodded as he started for the stairs, but Luna blocked his way. Lincoln looked up at Luna, before sighing. "I'm guessing that everyone told you guys about what I said at lunch today, huh?"

"Sit down, bro. We're having a talk, and I ain't taking no for a bloody answer, even if I have to stand in front of the stairs."

Groaning, Lincoln rubbed the top of his head. "I don't see why we have to talk about this. I'm just saying that I'm just not happy with who I am. It's not like I'm saying that I hate my life, or that I feel like shuffling off the mortal coil. I just want a change, is that so wrong?"

Luna's stern expression had melted like an ice cube in the sun. After all, in some way, she knew what that felt like. "No, it's not. It's just...are you really that unhappy?"

The frown on the boy's mouth grew bigger. "Yeah, because for the first time, I'm starting to realize that I'm nothing without you guys. Take me out of the equation, you guys still have something, something unique, something special, something that you can call your own. Meanwhile, take you guys out of the equation, I'm nothing, I got nothing."

"I'm sorry, I'm glad you're guys are proud of me. I just wish that I can be proud of me, that I can look at the mirror and say 'yeah, I'm the man.' But that's the thing, I don't."

Lincoln took a deep breath, feeling a little emotionally spent. But then a pair of arms wrapped themselves around his neck. Lincoln looked up to see Luna looking down at him, looking a bit lost yet determined to bring him some comfort.

"Bro…" Luna took a moment to compose herself, to actually think of the perfect words.

"You're not nothing, you were never nothing. And you're not just our brother. You're Lincoln Loud, you're the comic-reader, the sauerkraut-and-PB sandwich eater, the videogame-player, the man with the plan, and probably more than I can even name. And if you feel like you want to redefine that, add to that… you're still gonna be our little bro, just with some upgrades."

Lincoln looked up to Luna, before returning the hug. "I was being serious, I don't hate my life."

"I'll hold you to that, bro." Luna said, before releasing her hug. "Still, you feeling better, bro?"

'Redefine myself, huh?'

"Yeah," Lincoln smiled. "I think I am."

"Alright, bro. I'll be down here in case you need me." She said before heading into the kitchen.

Lincoln watched her go, before starting to head up the stairs. All the while, his mind was consumed with thoughts.

'What Flip is doing is illegal, and he's getting away with it. Not to mention, we could have stopped it, but we decided to go get more flippies. Meanwhile, someone had nachos made by the machines that Flip used to clean his feet. So what can I do right now?'

As he entered his room, a crinkle could be heard underneath his foot. Looking down, he paused for a moment before reaching down and grabbing the drawing. Picking it up, he saw that it was a drawing that he did of Ace Savvy.

He was about to put it back on his desk when the most craziest idea came to him. On any other day, feeling any other way, he would have laughed and disregarded it. But today…

" _Dude, there's something different about you..."_

" _I just want to be proud of me…"_

" _Whatever you want to redefine that, or add to that…"_

No… he didn't need to report Flip.

Lincoln put the drawing on his desk before kneeling down. Looking underneath his bed, he saw both of the boxes that were full of Dad's old clothes. Pulling out one of them, he opened it to reveal the 'Bullet Club' shirt. Holding it out in front of him, before looking back at the Ace Savvy drawing, the biggest excited grin spread out on his face.

But Someone had to…

Looking back at the shirt, he looked back down at the boxes, before starting to dig through them. After all…

His new identity was gonna need more than a shirt. Also a name, when he thought about it. And a way to sneak out of the house, since he couldn't trust the pets to not rat him out.

* * *

Author's Note:

So here we are, 2/3s way done with the month, and I've only 20k words. Geez…

So if you totally don't believe how Lincoln came to this conclusion, I invite you to reread chapter one, and then totally accept that I meant to do that.

Next chapter, Royal Woods wakes up to some surprising news, and Lincoln's new persona makes his debut.


	5. We Could Use A Hero

Lynn Loud Jr. opened her eyes, the first thing greeting her sight is her goth sister reading a book.

"Greetings to you on this new passing day to be swallowed by the ever coming void." Lucy greeted.

"Morning to you too, sunshine." Lynn snarked as she stretched in her bed, feeling the pleasurable sensation of her muscles loosening up. Rolling out of bed, she continued doing some more stretches, before nodding to herself. Grabbing her towel, she turned to Lucy.

"Gonna wait?"

Lucy nodded.

Walking out of their room, she nearly collided with someone.

"Hey, watch where you're…" Lynn's retort died on her tongue when she realized that there was something weird about Lincoln. He looked even more like a zombie, looking like he was barely standing. The rest of the sisters that were waiting in line looked at Lincoln and suddenly felt concerned.

"Geez, Linc. You look like you were burning the midnight oil, and then some." Luan commented with the rest of the sisters nodding. Lincoln merely waved them off.

"I'm fine, I'm fine...just fin-" Lincoln swayed for a little bit, before starting to fall forward. Lynn quickly caught her brother, her towel falling to the ground in the process. The sudden jolt caused Lincoln to wake up.

"FINE, I'm fine!" Lincoln blinked, seeing that Lynn and the rest of his sisters didn't even look convinced. "Okay...I might have borrowed a comic from Clyde, and I really got into it. Like really into it."

Lynn shook her head. "Bro, you have got to pick down the comics. That stuff ain't good for you if you're going to do stuff like this."

Lisa nodded her head. "I agree, Lincoln. You will strain your eyes if you try to read with a flashlight as your source of light."

"Okay, okay. I got it. I'm probably going to suffer in school today, so I'm sure you can all laugh at the barely awake kid as he stumbles through all his class before falling asleep into his lunch today. Okay, okay. Now if you excuse me, I'm gonna go ahead and sleep on this spot here. Wake me up when everyone else is done." As he said this, Lincoln leaned against the wall, slid down to his butt, and let his head hang downward.

"Gee, must have been a pretty good comic book." Lana said, looking back at the sleeping Lincoln.

"Wow, losing sleep over a lame comic book? I certainly would do something like that. Sleep is very important to maintain myself." Lola commented before turning back forward.

At that moment, Leni came out of the bathroom, at the very least decent. "Okay, next one can go in!" At that, Lola drove closer to the door, parked her car, and gathered her toiletries before entering the bathroom and locking the door.

As Leni was about to make her way back to her room, she realized that Lincoln was leaning against the wall, his head bowed. She gasped, her hands on her cheeks, before rushing over to him. Lynn tried to get in the way, but was simply shunted to the side as Leni leaned over, checking Lincoln over.

"OHMIGOD, LINCOLN! ARE YOU OKAY?!" Leni shouted, before starting to shake his shoulders. "LINKY!"

"I'M AWAKE, I'M AWAKE!" Lincoln screamed, flailing his arms. Lynn only had time to leave her hand hanging in mid-grab.

"Oh, you're okay, Linky. Rough night?" Leni said, calming down as a small smile bloomed on her face.

"Not really, just had a really cool adventure. Imagining myself as Ace Savvy's sidekick. Was a really good comic." Lincoln muttered, yawning before covering his mouth.

"You feeling better, like after you-know-what?" Leni asked, her smile fading.

Lincoln blinked, trying his best to wipe the sleep from his eyes. Lynn watched as he looked contemplative, trying to come up with the best answer to Leni's question. Speaking of which, what did that even mean? Lynn looked over to see the rest of her sisters looking at Lincoln with pensive expression, even Lola was leaning out of the door.

Okay, seriously? What was it that she was missing? "Okay, what are you guys talking about?"

Almost all of her siblings, minus Lincoln, turned to face her, looking almost personally affronted.

"Lynn, seriously? Didn't you hear that Lincoln might be thinking about 'ending it?'"

Lynn blinked. "Huh?"

"Leni!" Lincoln shouted, now fully awake. "It's not like that!"

Standing up, he made his way over to Lynn, who could only watch him come closer. Finally, he laid a hand on her shoulder, while he thought how to proceed.

"Listen, Lynn… Lisa and everyone else wanted to know what was going on with me the past couple of days."

'It was the pills,' Lynn thought. 'That's what happened to you, what are you talking about, Lincoln?'

"Make a long story short, I'm not happy with who I am. I don't respect the person I see in the mirror, and I just want to make a few changes to myself. I'm not planning on doing you-know-what, okay?"

'Was this what the pills did to him? I don't get it, how does this come out of having no fear?' Lynn furiously thought to herself, trying to deny the bile that was starting to float up and choke her.

"I...Is that what you really feel?" Lynn asked. "Why didn't you tell us any of this yesterday?"

"He did." Lisa said, her expression calm, but her eyes clearly showing a bit of disdain. "He told us younger siblings in the lunchroom, then each of the older sisters had a private talk with him. Meanwhile, I believe you came home, gave our brother a noogie, and then took a nap before dinner."

"I had practice…" Lynn defended herself, hating her voice sounded so weak and flimsy, and hating the fact that it was that way for a good reason. Apparently, her brother had been feeling like this, and she hadn't even noticed. And even if she did, what could she do? It wasn't like she could punch out sadness…

"Okay, okay. Come on, guys. I don't want to bang on about this." Lincoln interrupted Lynn's angsting, slightly pushing past her to block Lisa's glare. "Okay, you all feel bad that I don't feel good about myself. Thank you all for trying to cheer me up. Just please understand that this is something I gotta do on my own, alright?"

Lincoln gave a look that said 'end of discussion'. As Lynn looked around, the rest of her siblings clearly wanted to say more, yet one by one, they slowly turned back to the front. Even so, she could still see furtive glances from them.

As for her, what could she do to make it better? How could she make it up to Lincoln? Finally, she decided just to go with what came up in her mind first.

"Hey, Lincoln." Lincoln, who had returned to his sleeping position, merely turned his face so that one eye could open and stare at her. "Listen, I'm sorry that I didn't hear you that time, and that I was busy… So if you need me for something, just go ahead and tell me, okay?"

Lynn quickly looked away, feeling a bit silly. She had this grand apology all planned out in her head, and it practically spilled out of her mouth like a carton of spilled milk. Maybe she should have waited until she could come up with a better apology than that.

She was about to turn away, when something grabbed and tugged on her sleeve. Coming back, she saw Lincoln awake, rubbing his chin as he thought about Lynn's proposal. After a few seconds, he nodded to himself before turning to Lynn.

"Do you really mean that?"

Lynn, seeing a chance at forgiveness, quickly nodded her head. Lincoln stood up and grabbed her by the hand, dragging her to his room. The Sporty Girl couldn't help but to say something.

"Gee, Linc, a little forceful about this, aren't you?"

The look Lincoln gave made her wish that she didn't say anything. That sounded way to skeevy.

As soon as Lincoln closed the door, he grabbed a notebook, flipped to an open page, and started to write on it.

Lynn, can you teach me a few pointers about defending myself?

"Wha-" Lynn's question was stopped as Lincoln covered her mouth with his other hand, offering his pencil with his other hand. Lynn continued looking at Lincoln, who just shoved the pencil in her hand. Staring at the pencil for a while, she finally decided to play ball with Lincoln.

Why?

Lincoln grabbed another pencil and started to write quickly.

So yesterday, me and Clyde may or may not have ran into a bunch of jerks…

Before Lynn could react, a tightening of his hand told Lynn to keep quiet.

Point is, we got out of it fine, but in case next time, if something like that happens, and they don't find my hair color funny, can you teach me to defend myself?

Lynn quietly tapped on Lincoln's hand to make him drop his hand, yet Lincoln refused. Hard to make a decision when your brother's hand is so close to your nose, Lynn thought to herself.

Still, as much as she hated to admit, Lincoln's proposal made sense, as much as it hurt. She couldn't always be there for Lincoln, and she couldn't fight all his battles for him. Still, the idea of Lincoln relying on her less made her feel sad, knowing that it also meant that Lincoln was growing up without her. Yet, the idea of Lincoln getting dogpiled by a bunch of jerks didn't appeal to her either. At this point, Lynn was at a crossroads…

Either refuse, and just stick to Lincoln like glue, or accept, and watch Lincoln fight his own battles, and need her less.

 _I'm not happy with who I am..._

After a while, she decided.

Alright bro, but after that, you better tell us about these goons so we can tell them not to mess with our brother?

Fair.

Lincoln let Lynn's mouth go, before smiling at her. Lynn smiled back, knowing she made the right decision. Lincoln then opened the door, and frowned at the sisters who had been trying to eavesdrop on him.

"Guys, seriously?" Then Lynn noticed something weird about the gaggle of siblings that tried to look like they weren't reaching into the imaginary cookie jar.

"Hey, where's Lori?"

"OH MY GOD!" Everyone but Lincoln jumped. Looking to where the noise originated, they saw Lori practically glued to her phone, her eyes wide before she started to run down the stairs, paying no attention to the rapid squeaking. Everyone looked at each other, unsure of what Lori was doing, before following after her, trying not to get in each other's way. As they came down to the living room, they saw that Lori had grabbed the TV remote and pressed power.

As the tv turned on, Lori began to flip through the channels, clearly searching for a specific one. Dad leaned over from the kitchen along with Mom.

"HEY! No TV during school mornings!"

"Sorry, this is like really important! Trying to find - THERE!" With that, Lori found the news channel, just as the words 'BREAKING NEWS' filled the screen.

"Hello there, Royal Woods." The news anchor greeted as he sorted the papers in front of him. "I hope that you had a good sleep because while the rest of us is napping, the police surely had a busy night. The police has confirmed that Florence 'Flip' DiMaggio has been arrested on charges of providing minors with alcohol as well as other misdemeanors."

The whole family was still, except for Lynn Sr., who noticed that what he was cooking was starting to burn. Sure, there might have been some unpleasant characters that they knew in town, and Flip did seem like an unscrupulous guy, considering that he did con them for 'Lily's Blanket' many times over. But still, to know the guy had done something like this?

"Hey, Linc, didn't you work for him once?" Lynn asked.

"Yeah, wasn't my proudest moment." Lincoln said, rubbing the back of my head. "Practically fought my best just to be 'promoted' and get free Flippies."

"According to Police," The News Anchor continued. "They had responded to a break-in at Flip's Food and Fuel, which reported in from a nearby payphone by a mysterious individual identifying themselves as 'Balor.' The mysterious individual also advised that the police should check Flip's camera footage, saying that 'there's some interesting things you should check out.'"

"Upon checking the security footage for any signing of the intruder or even of this individual, police were shocked to find footage of Flip selling alcohol and cigarettes to possible minors." As the news anchor said this, footage started to play of the security footage, showing a grainy shot of Flip standing behind the dumpster. Not too long, three figures walked up to him, exchanging money for bottles of alcohol and packs of cigarettes. As the three began to leave, one of the faces became clear.

"HEY! I know that guy! He's the bloke that sits in the back in my algebra class!" Luna shouted, pointing to the face of the guy.

"Wow, they all let themselves get caught on camera. Completely unbelievable…" Lola tsked as she shook her head. Everyone there stared at her. "That they decided to do something as stupid as drinking?"

"Further review of the security footage has also revealed that Flip is responsible for other misdemeanors and charges such as fraud." Footage started to play, showing Flip changing the expiration date on his milk, scratching up lottery tickets and covering them up with market, and filling up empty bottles with leftover grease.

"As well as several counts of health code violations." Another switch showed Flip reading a paper while his feet soaked in nacho cheese dispensers, now retooled as makeshift spas.

The whole family started to scream. Lola and Lana looked at each other, before their faces puffed up and the two ran to the bathroom. Lynn herself had to fight down the urge to barf, slightly thankful that she didn't have the nachos. Still, she could only imagine what some of her teammates were now feeling, provided they were actually watching this.

"Flip, as of now, is currently facing at least $1000 in fines and a possible 90 day imprisonment for the charges of providing minors with alcohol. Further review of the security footage will determine future charges that need to be addressed. In addition, the teenager has been identified, but due to the wishes of the teenager's parents, their identity will not be publically enclosed."

Luna snorted, and Lynn couldn't help but agree. Sure, there was no name given, but seeing that Luna still got a pretty good idea of their identity even through the grainy footage, it was no use. Maybe the guy's parents should have also asked for one of those weird blurry effects for the guy's face?

"As for the individual that has been identified as 'Balor', police have found no clues as to their identity. No outstanding individuals has been identified in Flip's employee and personal history, and there have been signs of potential tampering with the security footage, likely to obscure the intruder. Police could only speculate that 'Balor' and the intruder may have a connection, but so far, nothing conclusive has turned up. However, police has allowed this station to playback the phone call for the public.

"911 here."

"Owaya, mah name is Balor and i'd loike ter report somethin' at Flip's grub an' fuel." The voice that came out was the thickest irish accent that anyone had heard. It was also impossible to tell how old the person on the phone not just because of the accent, but it did sound quite a bit deep. If it was somehow a young person doing it, they must have had experience.

"Okay, sir." The dispatcher said, sounding bewildered by the accent. "What's your emergency?"

"So oi wus futtin' it near de place, an' de windy is smashed, she's peeled. oi tart oi saw somethin' movin' raun, so oi booked it an' called yer."

"Alright, sir, just stay where you are, and police will be there shortly."

"At this point, police are asking the public to help identify the individual known as 'Balor' so that his testimony can be considered. Next up, the superintendent of the district has some surprising-"

Lynn Sr. turned off the TV. "Alright people, let's go ahead and have breakfast… As soon as I finish cooking it."

As Lynn Sr. went back to the kitchen, the whole family was in an uproar as Lynn watched from the side. Luna was talking to the older sisters about the guy that she knew in class that had been caught on camera, while Lola ranted to Lana about the stupidity of Flip's blunder. Then Lynn looked over to Lincoln, who was still staring at the blank TV.

"Are you alright, Lincoln? You seem troubled." Lynn didn't even react to Lucy's sudden appearance, since she had the same question on her mind.

"You know, it's funny." Lincoln chuckled. "When me and Clyde were fighting over who should the unlimited Flippies, we finally decided that it was getting stupid. Then we overheard Flip telling some guy that he was using the 'unlimited Flippies' to wring more work out of us."

With that, he held out his hand, signalling them to stop first. "Let me finish."

"Of course, we were mad that we were getting taken for a ride. So, we went ahead and looked at his security footage to see if we could get any dirt on him. And man, did he have dirt. And you want to know the best part? I recognize that footage, that was the same stuff that we used to blackmail Flip with. He didn't delete anything!" Lincoln finally let loose a belly laugh, leaning on his knees as his body shook with unrestrained mirth.

While Lola groaned as she struggled to hold in her ire, the rest of the sisters couldn't but join in his laughter, Luna and Luan in particular patting him on the back for getting one over Flip. Lynn couldn't fully join in the laughter, as she was too busy staring at Lincoln. For the first time that she could remember, she wondered what exactly she had done.

After all, Lincoln now was nothing like how she imagined he would be. Was the drug even working like it was supposed to? It was supposed to make Lincoln fearless, not reveal every weakness and worry that he had. Wasn't that showing fear or something? At some level, it must be working, considering that he had now made his 'secret relationship' with Ronnie public. Still, trying to consider how this Lincoln came to be was making her head hurt.

Not to mention, there was something weird knowing that Lincoln managed to get one over Flip, the guy that he had worked for. She would have thought that Lincoln would have just taken it, just silently gritting his teeth before deciding to tell someone about it. There was something that was starting to bubble up in her mind, before she put a lid on it.

Did it really matter what Lincoln was feeling, or how he handled his problem with Flip? The point was that Lincoln needed her help with something, and Lynn Loud Jr. beat problems. And if the problem seemed to be Lincoln's ability to defend himself physically, she would be oh so happy to do it.

As Lynn Sr. called everyone to the table for breakfast, Lynn caught Lincoln by the elbow.

"After breakfast, you and me go out into the backyard. I wanna give you a few pointers."

Lincoln nodded. "Okay."

* * *

Well, that was an interesting day of school, Lincoln thought to himself as he, Clyde and Ronnie walked out together.

After all, the Intern fair had basically been a week ago, practically yesterday with the scandal that had happened, with the school essentially letting two students work under a conman, and could have possibly gotten them hooked on drugs and other nasty stuff. Principal Huggins had called them to personally apologize to them and to assure them and their parents that the school will be more strict in their selections. Practically everyone gathered around them to talk about what had happened to them, and once that well dried up, how Lincoln managed to get together with one of the toughest girls in school. Thankfully, Ronnie only had to hold a fist for that line of questioning to not get far.

At least he managed to get an A on that test. So overall, it balanced out.

"He seriously left his footage unedited after you guys threatened him with it?" Ronnie guffawed as the three walked into town, hoping to spend a few quarters at the arcade.

"Believe me, I was surprised as you when they showed the same footage on the news this morning." Lincoln remarked, the two holding hands while Clyde walked on Lincoln's other side.

"Still, you sure that slimeball didn't try anything with you guys?" Ronnie asked, staring them down if they were going to lie.

Both Lincoln and Clyde shook their heads. "Naw, if anything, we probably hurt each other more than that guy ever did."

"First fight I had with Lincoln...and one that I won!" Clyde chuckled.

"You get one, Clyde. You get one." Lincoln warned.

"But seriously, you guys fought over Flippies? Are they even that good?" Ronnie asked.

Both Lincoln and Clyde paused for a moment, actually considering the question and thinking back to the experiences they had with Flip's Flippies.

"Yes." "Yes, they were." "They were good." "Very good." "Would have fought you for them, Clyde." "Would have fought you too for the chance."

The rapid fire conversation ended as the two of them stared off to the distance.

"Well what do you know, Flip might have been a swindler and a con, but at least he made some good drinks." "I'd drink to that."

"You guys are so weird." Ronnie shook her head, before another question popped into her mind. "Hey, what do you guys think of that guy that called in that crime? What was his name, Devin?"

"It was Balor, Ronnie. And I don't know, I was a little bit thrown off by his accent. What do you think about him, Lincoln?"

Lincoln shrugged. "I don't know, sounded like a guy that happened to be there at the right time and at the right place… Hey's what going on there?"

Lincoln and his friends looked into a nearby alleyway, and saw four people in the midst. While two of them seemed unfamiliar, it wasn't hard to remember the rocker girl with a skunk stripe in her hair and the goth girl who could be called Lucy's senior in the goth culture. The three crept closer and tried to listen in.

"What the heck with you bloody plondas? Balor clearly spoke in an Irish accent!"

"So? You both speaking weirdly, bet you're both faking it." The sound of the guy's voice clearly set Lincoln and Clyde off as they looked at each other. They recognized the voice of one of the teenagers that they met in the cave. "So, did you really think you could slip by and make your voice a little deeper.

"I weep at your ignorance. Now allow us passage, for it is clear that the one you seek isn't Tabitha, here." Haiku said in her usual monotone voice, yet there was clearly some annoyance being repressed there.

"Come on, Haiku-luv. It's Tabby." Tabby said a little annoyed.

"Like I care what you and your little freak friend like to call each other. Someone's gotta pay, and if we can't find them, well… Guess you'll have to do."

"Lincoln," Clyde whispered, wanting to help but knowing that he would be limited in whatever physical support he could provide in a fight. "What do we do?"

"Wait, where's Lincoln?" Ronnie asked. The two looked around, only to confirm that Lincoln was missing. The two turned back, only to see the two teenagers start to close in threateningly to Tabby and Haiku.

Ronnie growled as she rolled up her sleeves. "That's it, I ain't letting this happen when I can do something. You in, Clyde?"

Clyde quickly looked around, before rummaging in his backpack and pulling out one of his textbooks. "Yeah, right behind you. But what about Lincoln?"

Ronnie bit her lip, clearly wanting to think the best of her boyfriend. "I'm sure he went to go get help. Meanwhile, we can't wait for him. I can tell those guys are ready to cause trouble! So, on three, we go. One. TWO-" "HEY, FELLA!"

Everyone stopped to look at the opposite end of the alleyway. There, practically swaggering into the midst was either a kid or a short person, covered up to hide all traces of his identity. He wore a black knit cap, sunglasses, and a black mask that covered the bottom half of his face. His leather jacket and torn jeans looked worn, like age had left their mark on them. However, the part that stood out the most to the people that watched him approach was the t-shirt that he was wearing. A skull with AK-47s for crossbones stared at them with two words proudly proclaiming the name 'Bullet Club.'

"Well, yer can stop parshin' raun dees birds 'ere. oi'm Balor, an' 'ere scon are. Nigh oi suggest yer git oyt av 'ere, before oi start makin' yer blather in a gas voice."Balor said as he finally stopped in front of the teenager, putting Tabby and Haiku behind him. The silence was deafening, before the teenager began to laugh, comparing Balor's height to himself.

"Oh, that's rich. You're Balor? YOU'RE Balor? What are you, some boy scout trying to be edgier?"

"Bloody be an 'edgey' tryhard than sum loser who canny wait tree more years ter waste de wee brain cells yer man 'as lef."

Behind his own mask, the teenager stopped laughing, clearly a little annoyed with the smart talk. Tabby started to feel concerned for the guy that just might be a little barmy, while Haiku calmly stared. Ronnie watched behind the wall, while Clyde tried to restrain himself from hyperventilating, the dots starting to connect for him.

Finally, the teenager stepped closer, before leaning in closer, emphasizing his size difference in comparison to Balor. "Well, then. Let me make something clear to you, kid. You messed with the wrong people, and we will make your life a living hell. Now, let's see who's the dumb kid trying to play hero."

As the teenager started to reach for the mask, Balor chuckled.

"Isn't dat gas? oi got a message av me own ter send ter yer an' yisser buddies."

Without further warning, Balor headbutted the teenager in the face, making him howl and clutch his face, standing up. As Balor readied his fist, he recalled all the tips that Lynn had taught him.

'When you're punching, it isn't just your arm. It's your foot, your hip, your shoulder, that entire half of your body working together to make your punch even stronger. So remember: right foot back, rotate hip, short burst forward. Combine all of that, and you get one meaner punch.'

Balor's fist connected with the teenager's crotch, making everyone wince as the teenager's scream became an octave higher. The teenager bent over at the waist, serving Balor well as he seized the back of the neck and the mouth. The screams were reduced to muffled groans as Balor forced the teenager to look up into his sunglasses.

"Yer done spewin' yisser words? frankly, oi don't care, an' oi bet dat none av dohs lads av yers are 'ere besides dat silly guy over dare. so let me make somethin' clear, fella. dis is between yer an' me, an' if oi 'ear dat you've been messin' raun wi' others, you'll nade ter wait a decade ter ayte proper solid grub. UNDERSTAN'?" Balor growled as he tightened his grip, making the teenager start squirming in discomfort, besides the pain on his forehead and crotch.

The teenager quickly nodded.

"Good. NIGH GIT!" Balor shouted as he shoved the teenager as hard as he could, making him fall to the ground. The teenager was assisted by his friend, as both ran out of the alley as fast as they could. Balor waited a moment, before turning to Tabby and Haiku.

"Ye birds gran' so? they didn't try anythin' witcha before oi came along, did they?"The facelessness did little to hide the concern radiating from the masked stranger. Tabby, after a while, composed herself and gave a small smile to the masked stranger.

"Nah, you were just in the nick of time. Thanks for your help, you sure showed those bloody idiots the what-for!" Balor merely waved off their gratitude.

"Naw problem, oi jist 'appened ter be at de roi place, at de roi time." Ronnie and Clyde looked at each other as Balor said that, surprise and shock on their faces as they both managed to connect the dots.

"Nigh yer better git 'eadin', an' next time, don't take de dark an' damp alleyways, steck ter de nice an' dry sidewalks."

"You don't have to tell me twice. Come on, Haiku, at least that's one thing that doesn't suck today!" As Tabby started to walk off, Haiku turned to Balor, before giving a small smile and bow.

"Thank you for your assistance." She said, letting a bit of emotion through her monotone before catching up to Tabby. A few moments passed before Balor was sure that Tabby and Haiku was out of the alleyway, before Lincoln dropped his persona and turned to where Ronnie and Clyde were hiding.

"Alright, guys. I know you're there, and I know that you're pretty smart, both of you. Can you watch out for me while I change?" He got a thumbs up in return.

A few minutes later, Lincoln Loud popped out and rejoined Ronnie and Clyde, who were wondering what to say. That was until Ronnie noticed that there was red on Lincoln's forehead. "Holy-, Lincoln, are you hurt?"

"Huh?" Realizing that Ronnie was staring at his forehead, he reached up only to grit his teeth a little. "A little, it actually kinda smarts."

"Of all the things I thought you try to do," Ronnie muttered to herself as she took a better look at the red mark. "You go and be a vigilante?"

"Well, I have a good reason, or at least two good reasons, and depending on those good reasons, they might have a few friends." Lincoln remarked, both taking the teenager's threat seriously and with a grain of salt.

"Great, thanks, Lame-o. I lost my appetite for the arcade. Come on, we're going back to my place, make sure that you didn't knock out what brain cells you had."

As Ronnie started to pull Lincoln away, Clyde began to mouth to Lincoln. 'Dude, you could try to be a hero!'

Lincoln mouthed 'why?'

'Because you not only stopped Tabby and Haiku from getting hurt, you also stopped a burglary and got Flip arrested!'

Just as Lincoln was about to comment on that, Clyde began to walk away. "If you are going to your house, I can see that I should leave. See you tomorrow!"

Lincoln did his best to hide his frown as Clyde faded from view. He wonder what would happened when he corrected Clyde's vision, or even if he would accept that Lincoln had broken into Flip's place.

* * *

"I'm home!" Lincoln called out as he entered his home. "And before you ask, I'm okay, I was playing a basketball arcade game when the basketball bounced off the basket and hit me on the head."

Thank goodness that Ronnie had agreed to keep the secret, in exchange for not actually trying to be a vigilante.

As Lincoln climbed the stairs, his eyes landed on Lynn and Lucy's room, and he was reminded of Lynn's promise. Flexing his fist, and reminding himself of the teenager's pained groans, he wondered if Lynn was available. Walking over to the door, he knocked on it twice.

"Hey, Lynn. Are you in? I wanna practice." After a few moments, Lincoln blinked. Usually Lynn would be busting out the door, wanting to engage in physical activity. It took another moment for Lincoln to remember that Lynn had practice today. Starting to walk back to his room, Lincoln looked back when he heard the door crack open.

"Lincoln?" Lucy asked, peeking through the door.

Normally, Lincoln didn't mind Lucy's disposition, but at that moment, he could feel that there was something different, something tangible that clung to Lucy.

"Lucy?" Lincoln asked as he came closer, gently opening the door. "What's wrong?"

Lucy was silent, unsure what to tell Lincoln, but eventually decided to tell.

"It's the Mortician's Club. T-The school is asking us to disband."

"What?" Lincoln blinked, suddenly remembering that Haiku was part of the Mortician's Club and that she was hanging out with Tabby way too early. "Why?"

"Apparently, the superintendent was not pleased with grades from our school, so he asked the school to start chopping unnecessary compartments. Our club was one of them. And no one cares. Too busy talking about Flip and Balor..."

"Lucy, I'm sorry…" Lincoln said, before hugging her. The Goth stiffened for a bit, before returning the embrace.

Meanwhile, Lincoln felt the weight of his backpack increase, while his eyes narrowed. His mind began to race with ideas and possibilities, now free from restraint. Perhaps it was good that Lynn was off practicing.

The Man with the Plan needed to come out and play for a bit…

* * *

Author's Note:

Moeru Ken messed up my schedule.

In other news, sorry that this feels rushed. Approaching more uncharted waters here. I have plans of where to go, but the execution is not quite pat. Also, everyone like the thick accent? Good, not doing that again, just giving you a taste of how thick it is. It will be normal next chapter.

Also, now that NaNoWriMo is going to be over soon, I might consider trying to get a beta reader for this.


	6. The Brewings of a Storm

Tick. Tick.

Lincoln's knee bounced up and down, trying to spend even a little bit of the energy that was currently surging through him. It was the last class of the day, Language Arts, and Lincoln was so bored. The entire day, he had been formulating his plan to get the school to reconsider their decision to disband the Mortician's Club.

Apparently, the Superintendent of the district had released some concerning news about the grades in the area, and was asking the schools to do what they could raise them up. Principal Huggins apparently decided that the best course of actions was to shut down all activities that were deemed 'unnecessary.', and right now, that meant clubs. Listening closely throughout the whole day, he got some more juicy news that only assured him of the success of his plan, like Tabby spreading the word about his little scrap with a teenager with a head and a quarter over him, or more than a few people feeling a little concerned over the school's plans. Now, if only...

WHY WAS THIS CLASS GOING SO SLOW! HURRY UP! COME ON, CLOCK! JUST A FEW MORE DEGREES SO I CAN GET OUT OF HERE AND ACTUALLY DO SOMETHING IMPORTANT! THAT HAND OF YOURS BETTER NOT HAVE WENT BACK, YOU HEAR ME?!

Finally, Lincoln yawned, unable to hold back his boredom.

"Lincoln." The sound of his voice made him suddenly snap back into consciousness, realizing that Mrs. Johnson was currently frowning at him. "I see that you're about a few steps away from dreamland. May I suggest reading the first part of the poem in your book out loud and telling everyone what you think the meaning of it is?"

The look in her eyes said that wasn't a suggestion.

Blinking, he looked down, before picking up the book and looking for the passage that Mrs. Johnson pointed out for him. Finding the specific part that the teacher had laid out for him, he cleared his throat and began to recite.

" _Do not go gentle into that good night/Old age should burn and rave at close of day/_

 _Rage, rage against the dying of the light."_

" _Though wise men at their end know dark is right/Because their words had forked no lightning they/Do not go gentle into that good night."_

As Lincoln ended his recitation, he had to admit that it was a pretty cool poem, at least by the standards of his literary unchallenged mind. Still, he had other things on his minds, and he frankly wasn't in the mood for trying to figure out the meaning in a poem. Making a show of looking like he was thinking about the meaning of the poem, he eventually shrugged.

"Umm...This poem was about how you...should not give up? Even when it looks like it's absolutely hopeless?"

Of all the expressions that Lincoln expected Mrs. Johnson to make, he didn't expect her to grin.

"EXACTLY, Lincoln. While I am pleased you got it right on the nail, do not think that I'll accept it as an excuse for dozing off in class."

"Umm...okay?" Lincoln said, letting Mrs. Johnson walk away and continue her lesson. Huh, he was honestly guessing about the answer, and if there was anything about poetry that he learned from Lucy, most of it was apparently wrong according to Mrs. Johnson. Just as Mrs. Johnson finished up her lesson, the bell finally rang.

Thank you, Lincoln thought to himself as he got up and started to put his books away, making sure not to crumple or reveal Balor's outfit. Just as he was about to put away the textbook, his eyes landed on the poem that he had to read out loud. 'Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night' By Dylan Thomas. Looking over it one more time, he eventually got a scrap of paper and bookmarked the page.

'Could come in handy.' Lincoln thought to himself as he packed the textbook away. Walking out of the classroom, he saw Ronnie and Clyde standing there, looking uncertain. And why did they? If they participated in Lincoln's plan, they were going to land in a whole lot of hot water with their parents. Looking up, they saw Lincoln, who nodded to them, before continuing for the exit. The two rushed to join up with him.

"You're really are thinking about doing it?" Clyde asked, practically whispering as he looked around, paranoid that a teacher was going to pop out of nowhere, proclaim that they knew what they were planning, and haul all three of them to eternal detention.

"Yeah, and I'm totally cool if you guys don't want to do it." Lincoln said as he pushed open the doors to the outside. "As far as I know it, this has nothing to do with you guys. You're not in any clubs, so you can probably sit this one out."

"Lincoln, this is crazy!" Ronnie spoke up, now feeling free to speak her mind now that the trio were farther away from any teachers. "I know that you got a thing for crazy plans, and this is probably another week in your house, but this...this...THIS IS NUTS! I can't even...What even made you come up with this?"

"Well…" Lincoln said as they walked into a remote area that seemed to have no one around. "I figured that the Principal's mind is probably already made up at this point, so there is no chance we can come to some compromise. So, I figured we got ahead and throw everything we have on the table and on this plan. It's drastic enough that maybe the Principal will change his mind, and if not that, at least someone on the staff might be inspired to actually speak up."

Lincoln, confirming that the place was entirely deserted, set his backpack down, and took out Balor's outfit. "Besides, I'm doing this to keep one of the few things I know Lucy values unironically in business. I'm sure if Bobby ran into the same troubles, you would be there for him, so why is what I'm doing any different?"

Ronnie fell silent, still keeping eyes for any people coming near. Clyde turned to face Lincoln.

"Don't worry, dude. I got your back on this one." As Clyde turned back to look for intruders, he muttered to himself. "Maybe Lori might be impressed."

Lincoln stayed quiet for a few moments, quickly changing clothes, until all he had to put on was the mask. Then he tapped Clyde on the shoulder. As Clyde turned around to face him, Lincoln stared him straight in the eye.

"Okay, Clyde. Listen to me. I'm your friend, and I don't want you getting hurt. So believe me when I say 'stop.' 'STOP.' Trust me, there is no conceivable way that Lori would want you the way that you want her to. Truthfully, there are so many deal breakers between you and her that the deal is already in pieces, and then those pieces got broken into atoms, and then those atoms got broken… Do you see where I'm going with this?"

Both Ronnie and Clyde blinked, Clyde in particular had his jaw hanging open. "Dude…" That was the only thing they could both say. Clyde said his feeling betrayed, his heart seemingly stomped on by Lincoln. Ronnie said hers, bewildered, knowing that Clyde had no chance, but thinking that Lincoln would at least let Clyde down gently.

Lincoln merely held up a hand.

"Now let me guess about what you want to say. 'Lincoln, how could you? I thought you had my back man. I mean, Lori is the most perfect woman in the world, no, in existence, and you're telling me to give up on wooing her? Some friend you are…' Clyde, I am trying to be a friend here, heck, your best friend. And I think that best friends should be able to tell each other when enough is enough, and I think that you, about ready to go into my plan with only Lori in mind, have hit that line."

Clyde tried to speak.

"Let me finish. You also said it yourself, or at least I imagine that you said it yourself, 'Lori is the most perfect woman in existence'. Now do remind yourself that Lori is a woman, and unfortunately, she does have tastes that don't involve you, dude. Just, think of it like this… Can you come closer?"

Clyde came hesitantly close, only for Lincoln to sling his arm around Clyde's shoulder.

"I really shouldn't be saying this, but I think it is really important. Clyde...My little sister Lola likes you, Clyde. She likes you a lot."

...What, was the only thing that Ronnie and Clyde thought.

"I mean, she really, really likes you, it's actually getting a little concerning. I mean, as soon as she hears your name, she starts getting nosebleeds. The moment she hears your voice, she gets out this voice recorder so she can record you. And every time I draw the vacuuming chore, and have to vacuum Lola and Lana's room, I swear that if I got a quarter for every time I see a poorly hidden picture of you on her side of the room, I'm pretty sure that I can buy Flip's place right now."

By this point, Clyde had practically turned white, his face purely hidden disgust. "Umm...Lincoln, if it is possible, can you tell Lola that, well, I'm flattered but…"

"Oh, it's okay, dude. Lola doesn't have a crush on you, and she probably kill me if she heard me say that stuff about her."

"Uhh...Okay…" Clyde answered, unsure if he should be insulted or relieved.

"The point still stands, would you want to date someone 5 to 6 years younger than you when they're acting like that?"

Clyde shook his head. "No." A inkling of what Lincoln meant was starting to permeate his head, yet part of him resisted the revelation.

Lincoln sighed, seeing Clyde still a little resistant. He prepared the final blow.

"So why are you expecting Lori to be different?"

Unfortunately, Clyde's mind shut down and defaulted to the first stage of grief: denial. "Don't you tell me that I don't have a chance with Lori! She just needs to give me a chance!"

Lincoln patted Clyde on the shoulder. "Atomized, dude. Any chance you had is atomized."

"I THOUGHT YOU WERE MY FRIEND, DUDE!"

"Believe me when I tell you, if you want to do this, fine. Just do it because you're my friend, or you want to help Lucy and Haiku with their club. Stop trying to do stuff because you think that Lori might be impressed. Sure, I admit she might be impressed, but that won't be enough. It will never be enough."

With those words, he put on the hat and sunglasses. "Now go back home and think about what you want to do. Okay?"

Clyde was stiff, a frown on his mouth and tears on the corners of his eyes before he walked off, Ronnie and Lincoln watching he go.

"Dude, a little harsh of you, don't you think?" Ronnie asked.

"Harsh, but necessary. I was getting tired of Clyde putting everything on the line just to impress Lori. I guess that today was just the final straw… Ehh, he'll thank me later, even if this thing doesn't work out."

"What do you mean?" Ronnie asked.

"Well, I don't know for sure if the Mortician's Club or even any other of the other clubs would even agree to this plan. Still, got to at least try." Lincoln was about to roll up the mask that would cover the lower half of his face, when he looked at Ronnie and gave a bit of a cheeky smile.

"In fact, can I have a kiss on the cheek for good luck?"

Ronnie's eyebrow rose. "Really, dude? After that thing you just pulled with Clyde?"

Lincoln's smile dropped. "Like I said, he needed it. I would say more, but I feel like he got crushed enough. Believe me…"

Ronnie stared at him for a moment, before kissing her knuckle and pressing it on Lincoln's cheek. "Don't let it get out of control, you hear me?"

Lincoln nodded as he covered his mouth and nose, fully becoming Balor.

"Understood."

Balor came out of the place and started to run back, Ronnie seeing him off.

* * *

Looking around and seeing no one around, Balor made his way into the school campus. Trying not to be noticed, he crouched as he looked around the building, trying to remember the room where the Mortician's Club was. Finally, coming across one window, he listened in, and heard Haiku's voice.

"We are gathered here today, to remember and mourn our club, who has been deemed unnecessary, and therefore, cut from the school…"

Were they holding a funeral for their club? Then again, it seem slightly appropriate. Still, time to crash it. Grabbing onto the ledge for balance, he stood on his tippy toes before knocking on the window. Haiku paused her speech, before continuing. She must have thought that he was a bird. Balor knocked again. Haiku paused once more, before continuing. Alright, enough of this. Balor began furiously knocking on the window, before the blinds sprung open, revealing a slightly annoyed Haiku, before surprise overtook her face.

Balor gave a jaunty little wave. "Hello, mind if I come in?"

Haiku stared at him, before opening the window. "You need any help?"

"Oh no, I could totally do this on my own, don't worry." Balor assured her, before taking a deep breath and jumping up to the ledge, or more accurately, managing to get one of his legs on the ledge. Taking one more deep breath, he pulled himself up and through the window, facing the window before turning around to face the Mortician's Club, who clearly looked distrustful of the newcomer.

"Who are you?"

Just as Balor was about to introduce himself… "Don't worry, I can intercede on his behalf. He's Balor."

Just like that, the Mortician's Club members looked between each other, the energy turning from distrustful to curious.

"Balor?"

"You mean he's the guy that called in that break-in at Flip's?"

"Wait." With that, Lucy came to the forefront of the crowd, the small hints of distrust still on her face. "How do you know Haiku?"

Balor and Haiku looked at each other. "Should I tell them, Haiku? Or are you okay with doing it yourself?"

"I'll be alright with elucidating the relationship between us, Balor." Haiku cleared her throat. "Let us say that me and Tabby were rudely accosted by some hooligans when Balor came by. Let us say there was something...poetic about his justice."

"However, I cannot see why you are here, Balor. Are you here to be a pallbearer for us?" Haiku said as she pointed to a coffin that was filled with their club banner.

"Wow, you guys actually got a coffin for your banner? Where did you even get this thing? In fact, where are you guys even going to bury this?" Balor asked as he looked around the coffin.

"We managed to get it as part of a 'going out of business' sale from an undertaker. And it was going to be symbolic." Lucy explained. "And I will admit that we do need another pallbearer, just in case Orlok cannot lift his portion."

The tall bald member shrugged.

"Well, in that case, I apologize, because I'm not here to be a pallbearer. In fact, I'm here because I want you to help you cancel this funeral." Balor said as he grabbed the banner, folded it up, and handed it to Lucy.

"Why?" Lucy asked as she looked at the banner in her hands, before starting to walk back to the casket. "Our club is done. There is nothing that we can do."

"Not true." Balor said as he held out a hand to stop Lucy from going further. "I want to help you guys keep your club, and I do have a plan to force the faculty's hand."

The club members looked at each other. Haiku shook her head.

"I'm afraid that our club won't be saved if you punch Principal Huggins enough times in the face." She said sarcastically, as if wishing that was the case. Balor placed a hand on his chest, where his heart was located. Well, at least over his Right Atrium, anyway.

"Haiku, I can't help but feel slightly offended that you think my plan was going to be that. I'll have you know that I am capable of being more than a brute that packs a mean punch. So, how about you all come close so I can tell you what I got planned and no pesky people walking outside could make my time here difficult."

The group huddled together, listening intently to Balor's plan. As soon as he was done outlining his plan, the club members drew back, surprise and fear showing on their faces.

"Are you serious?"

"That's insane!"

"Is that the plan?!"

"Haiku, you can't be seriously considering this!"

"!"

All eyes were on Haiku, who herself looked uncertain of what exactly to do in this situation. Finally, she sighed as she looked at Balor sadly. "I'm sorry, Balor. I thank you for your idea and for your time, but I'm afraid we just cannot do what you're asking."

Balor simply looked away. "I see. Well, apologies for wasting your time. Guess this was just a club to you guys." He muttered as he started to make his way to the window.

"Wait!" Lucy said, her stoic appearance slightly cracking. "I thought you were serious, about saving our club?! Is that it?"

Balor shrugged. "What can I say? Can't exactly exercise our rights when it's just one person on behalf of a people who don't want to. Sure, I already know what you wanna say. 'It's just a club, no need to get messy for it.' Maybe, but it is your club, and there's something sickening to watch people just...hand it over and let it die, no matter how nice the funeral is." He gestured to the coffin and the seemingly elaborate presentation they had going.

"In fact, wasn't there a poem about how you should totally fight against the inevitable? How did it go again? Do not go softly...Do not go quietly…

"Do not go gentle into that good night." Lucy recited. "Old age should burn and rave at close of day/Rage, rage against the dying of the light."

With those words, Lucy stepped forward, still holding the banner. "I...I…"

She turned to her club members. "I don't want this club to go away. I...like this place. I...like being you guys. I don't want it to go."

Haiku stepped closer, before laying a hand on the banner. The rest of the club looked at each other, before stepping closer, laying their own hands on the banner as well. Balor couldn't help but feel like he was intruding on something sacred. Finally, Haiku looked at Lucy, and something was passed between them, before Haiku looked back at Balor.

"Is it too late to change our minds?"

Balor smiled, though the motion was hidden by his mask. "Of course not, you caught me right when you needed to. Still, good for you. And here I thought that my afternoon was going to be wasted."

"Huh?" The club members asked.

"What, you guys really thought you were the only ones getting axed? I mean, let's face it, you guys probably know a lot about anatomy, what's inside our bodies and how it all works, right? It's almost like a study group or something like that. And the school is deeming you unnecessary. And if you guys can't meet those standards, then what makes you think that the Chess Club can? Or the Tech Club? Or even the Athletic Club, like any pro team scouts are gonna look at a person's records back in Elementary School?" he said as he started to walk back to the window. In one fluid motion, he was sitting on the ledge. He turned to the group.

"And I don't know about you guys, but I'm sure that you would want some more people right behind you." With that, he slid off the ledge, vanishing from sight. The Morticians Club stared where Balor was.

"Wicked." Lucy whispered, before Haiku rushed past her. Looking through the window, Haiku saw Balor about ready to stand up, his hand about to knock on the window.

"I might have realized that some of the clubs might be in rooms that don't have windows, and maybe I don't know where they are. You wouldn't have an idea where they are, would you?"

"Perhaps." Haiku replied, the smallest smirk on her lips.

* * *

Lynn was walking home, her head looking down as she made the familiar route back home. She had asked Lori to leave her just so she could walk home, hoping that the increased physical activity could distract her from her worries. As she spotted her home coming up, she sighed.

The walk had not helped one bit.

Stupid superintendent, making that stupid announcement about the grades in the district being unsatisfactory, and stupidly urging the schools to make reforms and other things just to make the grades higher.

Seriously, she was doing fine with Lisa's tutoring. Her grades were fine enough for her to play sports, yet apparently because they 'could be better', she knew that her parents were going to look at her sports and see if there was anything that they could make her cut! All because of a bunch of losers in the schools who couldn't get a better letter on their homework!

And honestly, why did her grades have to be so important in letting her play? What about her ability, her work ethic? Did none of those count? There was none of this rules and regulations when she played in elementary school, and look at that, she made it into middle school just fine.

Dumb rules, dumb grades, dumb dumb dumb…

With a huff, she walked up to the house's front door, and opened it, barging in.

"I'm home!" Lynn called put, dumping her bag on the floor next to her.

"Hey." The sisters that were there greeted back, a bit glum. Lynn could already guess.

"High School starting to consider cuts too?"

"Yep." "Uh-huh." "Ain't rocking dude."

Lynn sighed. Man, this was way too depressing. She needed something else to take her mind off stuff. Wait…

"Hey, is Lincoln back home yet?"

Lori looked up from her phone.

"No, why?"

Lynn rubbed the back of her head, trying to think of a way to pass her training off as something friendly at least to respect to Lincoln's wishes.

"Oh, Lincoln wanted to show me something when he got back. So I'll guess that I'll just wait around for the next couple of minutes...Probably go get a snack."

As she searched the pantry for one of her sports bars, she heard the door open. Looking back, she found one of her bars. Quickly opening it and sticking it in her mouth, she peeked out from the kitchen.

"Lincoln?" She said with her mouth stuffed.

"No, just me." Lucy said as she started to go up the stairs.

"How are you guys dealing with it?" Luna asked, being the one to broach the question that was flying around everyone's minds. Except Lynn, who resisted the urge to facepalm.

'That's right.' Lynn thought to herself. 'Lucy's club is getting disbanded.'

Lucy was quiet, before speaking. "I think we found a way with it."

Never had Lucy's words sound so cryptic.

"Actually, Lucy, can you stay a bit? I want to call a sibling meeting." Lori said, sitting up on the couch.

"But should we, like, have everyone here?" Leni asked, pointing out that the younger siblings were not present.

"Then someone will have to pass the memo along to them first chance they can without Lincoln knowing."

As soon as those words were spoken, everyone in the room suddenly knew what the topic was.

"Is everyone listening? Good, then let me go ahead and let Luna give her piece, considering that this was her idea in the first place." Lori said before letting Luna take the floor.

"Okay, dudes. This is kinda my first gig doing this kind of thing, so let me make this quick. I think we should give Bro some space. Like this whole school thing that we are dealing, I don't think we should mention like that to him."

"Why?" Lori asked. "We know that there's not much that he could even do."

"Yeah," Luna agreed. "But I think both me and you know that Lincoln's going to make a big deal out of it."

Each of the sisters looked at each other, but slowly agreeing.

"And you could say that's what bumming me. Because...did we make him that way?"

"What do you mean by that?" Luan asked.

"I mean, I really thought about it, dudes. How much do we make him go to our events, do what we like? And then how much do we do something that he likes?"

Whatever responses that the sisters had just died on their tongues as their eyes widened. Lynn had to shove her response back down her throat.

"I'm just saying, this is something that is really important to Lincoln, trying to find who he is, what he wants to be, and I don't want him to rush it just because he feels pressured by us to come up with an answer just so everything could go back to normal. I mean, you guys remember the times after I came back from that concert, right?"

The rest of the older sisters silently nodded, trying to repress their shivers. While present Luna was loud, there was at least a skill to her playing that made her music at least, if not enjoyable. Nine year old Luna's attempts at replicating the sound that had enchanted her was practically the definition of 'ear-bleeding.'

"Sure, I'm not have been the rocker that I am today, but you guys let me grow into it. And I think that what Lincoln is doing is one more step to that, and I really don't want to mess that up with that. You feel me, dudes?"

All of the sisters looked at each other before nodding. Lynn did her best to pretend that Luna's words didn't bother her. Just then, the door opened, and Lincoln walked in, trying not to draw too much attention.

"Hey, Lincy, how are - OH MY GOD!" As Leni shouted in alarm, everyone else paid close attention to Lincoln, and gasped. Lincoln's left eye was half-closed, the area purple.

"LINCY, WHAT HAPPENED?" Leni said as she lightly grasped Lincy's face, keeping his head steady as she tried to recall anything that could help her brother's black eye. The rest of the sisters now stood up, Lori barking orders to get an icepack.

"It's fine. I'm fine. It's not that bad." Lincoln said as he tried to wiggle away from Leni's grip. His face stayed in place.

"What happened? Did some guys try to jump you?" Lynn asked, wondering if those guys that Lincoln ran into had found him again, and hoping that the little that she had taught him helped him.

"No, nothing like that." Lincoln said as he held out his hand, only for Lucy to drop a bag of frozen peas onto it. "Thanks, Lucy. Anyways, let's say...me and Clyde might have disagreed on a few things."

"What things?" Lori asked. Lincoln looked at her for a bit.

"Some things." He said in a tone that shut down all conversation. Lori looked ready to push forward, only for Luna to grasp her shoulder and shake her head. Lori clearly wanted to disregard Luna and ask Lincoln again, but the tightening of Luna's grip forced her to stand down. Lucy stood by Lincoln's side, ready to get him anything else while Leni fretted over the white haired boy. Meanwhile, Luan stood around with Lynn as they watched all of this happened.

"Geez, I hope that Clincon doesn't sink…" Luan joked, more to relieve the atmosphere than to actually make someone laugh. Lynn didn't pay attention to Luan, simply watching Lincoln for something. She wasn't sure what she was watching for, but soon she found it.

As soon as everyone's attention was off him, Lincoln turned to her and mouthed 'tonight.' He was asking her to continue teaching him, to help him fight better. Yet looking at his black eye…

She hesitated.

As soon as she realized that she felt that feeling, she immediately shoved it down.

'He wanted this. He wanted this. He wants to be better, and this is how I'm helping him. He wants this. He really does.' She repeated to herself.

And completely ignoring the insidious voice that whispered to her.

'Does he?'

* * *

Author's Note:

Dang it, I was hoping to have this done on the 30th, but I guess plans go awry.

Also, if you guys were sad that I done away with the accent all together, just do it like most people do it with Lisa's accent: sound it out in your head. The accent in the last chapter was just to give you guys an idea of how Balor sounded and how thick he was laying it on.

Anyways, here's to another chapter done. Hope people like the ride.


	7. Let's Start A Riot

Lucy wasn't a brave girl.

It was just an unfortunate fact that the goth had to learn to live with for most of her life, and probably going to for the rest of it as well. If she hadn't spent so much time working on making her face as stoic as possible, then people would have surely seen some of the parts that she wasn't proud of. She even once let her brother take the blame for clogging the toilet with his copy of Princess Pony, just because she couldn't take the possibility of people teasing her.

You could call a strange sense of irony that Lucy was roommates with Lynn, since the Sporty Sister was everything opposite to her. Lynn was colorful, she was monochrome. Lynn was outgoing and full of life, she was shy and filled with death.

Lynn probably do what she was going to charging headfirst. She was currently putting on all the stoicness she could muster as she watched Royal Woods Elementary pull into view. As Lori came to a stop, and the younger siblings were about to leave Vanzilla, when Lori cleared her throat.

"Have a good day at school. And if you see Lincoln, tell him that Mom and Dad have some serious words for him when he gets home, regardless of how much of a problem that his friend has."

Lucy had to admit, that was weird. When the Loud house had woken up that morning, Lincoln's bed was empty, his school stuff was gone, and he had left a note explaining that Clyde called him and wanted to patch things up. Considering the small changes in Lincoln's personality, she supposed that Lincoln finally decided to talk to Clyde about his crush on Lori.

One had to be practically dead not to see that Clyde carried quite the torch for Lori and one could almost find his passion admirable if not slightly disturbing. Still, Lucy was going to miss Clyde's shenanigans whenever Lori was around. The constant blood flow whenever Clyde got a nosebleed has done wonders for Lucy's experiments to create a convincing facsimile of blood.

As Lucy watched Vanzilla drive away and the rest of her sisters walking towards the school entrance, she looked around once she thought that the coast was clear. Looking around the area, she watched for any sign of Haiku or the rest of the clubs. Finally, Haiku appeared out of the crowd of arriving students and waved her over. As Lucy walked up to join her, the two started to walk towards another part off the entrance.

"So how many have joined us?" Lucy asked.

"Quite a few. Apparently, the other clubs had compatriots to call upon. This plan of Balor's might actually work."

Despite Haiku's words, Lucy still couldn't squish the disgusting butterflies that were spawning and flying around in her gut.

"Are you well?" Haiku asked. Lucy briefly weighed the option of lying, before disregarding the idea.

"I'm...nervous."

Haiku softly smiled back, the barest upward curve, but it was enough to at least make the butterflies sleep.

"I confess, I am too."

As the two stepped into the area where everyone was planning to meet, Lucy took a look around. It was strange to see all the clubs here, such a motley assortment of people, from the broad shoulders and brawny bodies of the Athletic Club to the glasses and pocket protectors of the Tech Club. There was something...almost inspiring about it, something that made her actually want to compose some poetry about the situation.

What stopped her was the tense atmosphere that practically choked the air around them. The members of the Athletic Club looked like they were ready to punch something. The members of the Zoology Club were like caged animals, wearing the ground as they paced back and forth. Some members of the Stage Band had their fingers moving, as if playing invisible instruments. The worst off seemed to be the members of the Tech and Math Club, who looked to be one step away from just bolting from the area and to the school.

And Lucy completely understood. This was something that Lucy never thought that she would ever do, and knew that the moment that she got home, she would get her ear talked off by Lisa, before her parents would also read the riot act on her. However, she had long made her peace with that.

"I CAN'T DO IT!"

Unfortunately, Lucy thought to herself as everyone turned to face the person that cracked, not everyone had made that same commitment.

It was one of the members of the tech club, a portly brown haired boy with round glasses and a pale yellow shirt. He had broken out into nervous sweats, his hair and glasses askew, and his eyes practically danced from one side to the other.

"I'm sorry, guys. I just can't do it. M-My perfect attendance, and my parents are going to kill me!" He apologized as he picked up his bags and was about to leave the area. However, the wall of Athletic Club members stopped his retreat.

"Now hold on there a minute," The leader said, just as brawny and intimidating as the rest of his club, stepping forward to stand in front of the boy, who looked moments away from hyperventilating. "You ain't gonna just go back to class and rat on us, are you?"

"H-Hang on there!" One of the Tech Club members stood by his compatriot. "You can't accuse him of something like that! Sure, he might have only agreed to this just this morning…"

"What?" The even tone of the captain immediately said everything. "What do you mean that he only agreed to doing this thing today?"

"Well…" The member said, looking to his friend, who had gotten even paler. "Well, he hadn't exactly made a decision for the past two days, but then he did come to me and say that he wanted in as we were walking to school."

"ARE YOU AN IDIOT?!" The Captain snarled, making the boys nervously back up. "He's probably in cahoots with the teachers, and wanted to see if we were actually going to do it! Now he's going to go back to Huggins and get us all in trouble!"

"NONONO!" The boy stuck his hands out in a placating gesture. "I totally agreed with your cause. I REALLY DO! It's just that I don't think I can do it…"

"Well, you certainly picked a fine time to do it!" One of the Zoology Members shouted as he glared at the boy. "The Athletic Club Captain is right, this is way too suspicious! How do we know you're not planning to rat us out!"

"Give him a break!" One of the Math Club members now stood up and glared back at the two. "He can't take the pressure, that's it! Just because you two don't care about your education as much doesn't mean that you should force him to conform to your standards!"

"The heck did you say to me, Poindexter!" The Captain roared.

To Lucy and Haiku's subtly expressed horror, the Tech and Math Clubs stood by their own, while the Athletic and Zoology Club stood on the other half. The tension that was choking the air was now threatening to blow up, and take the last chance any of them had of saving their clubs. The situation was looking more dire, with two sides clearly forming, and the rest being forced, one way or the other to make a decision of who to stand with.

Lucy felt herself freeze. Where was the courage that made her stand up, that made her actually ask Balor for help? That was different, she thought to herself. That time, it was just her, standing up for something that she believed in. This time, she was needed to mediate peace between two people, and that meant things that she just wasn't.

Where was Balor, Lucy thought to herself as the two groups were about ready to tear into each other. Please…

"What the heck are you whackers are doing?" Balor said as he walked into the area, head tilted in confusion, and not noticing Lucy's slight change in her expression. "Looks like to me that you lot are about ready to hop on."

"Balor! This geek was whining that he couldn't go through it, and I bet ya that he's just some sneak for Huggins!" The Athletic Club shouted, only for the Math Club Leader to shout back.

"He's not! Don't listen to him, Balor! He's just a neanderthal that jumped to conclusions!"

"What, you're trying to cover for him?"

"No, I'm trying to save him from an unjust accusation!"

Those harsh responses soon became the first shots fired as more and more people joined either side, hurling insults at each other, and threatening to cause enough of a ruckus for people to notice. Just as the leaders of the two sides were about to butt heads, someone gripped both of their ears and pulled. Cries of surprise and pain erupted from both mouths, causing everyone in the area to quiet down instantly.

"How about both of you quiet down," Balor said in a low hiss, speaking directly into the ears that he gripped, yet coming across clearly to everyone in the area. "Before I decide to give both of you a real nasty case of Cauliflower Ear…"

The Athletic Club Captain started to sweat, and after noticing that reaction, the Math Club Leader also started to as well. After a while, Balor nodded to himself.

"Good, now calm down and let me see what we need to do."

The two moved away, everyone else starting to calm down. In the middle of it all, the Tech Club member shivered as he looked downward, unable to meet Balor's sunglasses. As Balor stopped in front of him, the Tech Club member could only cover his head.

"I'M SORRY, I'M REALLY AM! PLEASE DON'T GIVE ME CAULIFLOWER EAR!"

Balor swiftly covered the boy's mouth.

"Oi, don't go spewing words like that. You'll get us all in trouble, unless that's what you want, right?" Balor asked, his tilted head starting to appear more intimidating than cute. He quickly turned his head to stare at the Athletic Club Captain, who looked like he was about ready to grab the boy. Turning his head, he stared at the Math Club Captain before turning back to the boy.

"So...You can't do it, huh? You really can't?" As the boy shamefully nodded his head, Balor sighed.

"Well...Alright then."

Everyone there held in their surprise.

"What?" The boy gasped.

"What? I can tell when something will be like biscuits to a bear. In fact…" Balor said as he rubbed his chin. "I got a special job for you."

"Special?" The boy blinked, a bit of hope in his eyes now.

"Yeah, listen. You are getting worried about your grades and how you'll miss classes, right?" He gestured to the rest of his club. "Don't you think that they also have the same thoughts too? So here's what I think you could still do to help out, go to class, take the best notes that you ever took in your life, then come back here and share your notes with everyone here so that way people 'technically' haven't missed class? Can your club and friends count on you for that?"

The boy nodded furiously. Lucy quickly glanced around, seeing a great deal of the Math and Tech club relax, a great deal of their tension seemingly disappearing.

"YES, I promise! Don't worry guys, I got this!" The boy said as he ran off.

"Oh yeah, be sure to get notes for the third and fourth graders too!" Balor called out, before turning to the Athletic Club Captain, who still looked a bit apprehensive. Balor shrugged.

"What? Why were you getting so crazy up your noodles? Even if he's a rat, he's only got his story to tell. It's not like we got an official documents implicating all of us in this big scheme. If a teacher does come up to us and ask what we're doing, just lie and say that we're all just here to mourn our precious clubs. Alright, we cool?"

The Athletic Club Captain rolled the words around in his head, before giving a grudging nod.

The group waited for a few minutes, waiting for a teacher to stomp right into their area and scream at them to get to class. Yet, there was a clear difference in the atmosphere than what was brewing at least five minutes ago. Standing off to the side, Lucy observed how when they thought he wasn't looking, people took quick glances at him, their eyes radiating curiosity and even admiration at times.

Finally, when everyone felt like there was no teachers coming, and were about ready to start what they had been planning for the past two days, Balor came to the front line and cleared his throat. Almost immediately, everyone looked up and paid attention.

"Alright, here we are. Really should have thought of a speech before getting up here." That got a few chuckles.

"So I guess let's go ahead and lay out what we're going to do. We gonna go out there, cause as much noise, raise as much heck out there, and not care about what's gonna wait for us back home. Because, this is your club at stake here. They're gonna try to take it away, and believe that just because you're kids, you'll just be fine with it and be on your merry little way. Well, GO OUT THERE AND SHOW THEM THAT NO, IT'S NOT OKAY AND YOU'RE NOT GONNA TAKE IT!"

With that, the crowd's attitude turned ecstatic, ready to shout their lungs out. To the side, Lucy smiled. She was happy with what she like. But if she had to be honest with herself, and pick out parts of herself that she didn't like…

Then Balor had all the parts that she wanted.

* * *

Principal Huggins liked to consider himself a fair principal.

He was sure to some students, the idea of Principal Huggins being 'fair' was practically absurd. How funny is it that the word 'fair' meant impartial and holding oneself to a standard, yet some people liked to see that as holding all others to their standards. Still, it is a distinction that Principal Huggins liked to carry proudly along with other qualities such as attentiveness, organization, and encouraging of efficiency.

So as he walked through the halls, ready to close the doors and signal the start of the school day, he couldn't help but notice that there was quite a few students missing from the classroom. Not enough to be worrying, but enough to have some concern. Shelving that concern for later, he finally came across the front doors, and was about to close it when he saw a group of children starting to come out of the woodwork. Recognizing them as members of Royal Woods Elementary now defunct clubs, Huggins had to suppress a sigh.

It was for the best, that decision. Maybe when everything was over…

However, the group stopped, and started to pull out large poster boards out from their backpacks. It was then that Huggins' sight was drawn to the person at the front of the group, mostly because of how his face was covered completely compared to the rest of the kids around him. The faceless kid noticed Huggins staring at him, and stared right back. Huggins frowned.

It also didn't help that the kid was wearing the most obscene shirt he had seen in quite a while. Seriously, a skull with ak-47s for crossbones and a name like 'Bullet Club?' No metaphorical child of his should be caught dead with that shirt on them.

It was at this moment that the kids unfurled their poster boards that Huggins was glad that he wasn't drinking coffee, otherwise it would have been all over the floor and the doors.

'Give us back our clubs!'

'We ain't backing down for nothing less!'

'Huggins gives lousy hugs!'

The Principal watched with wide eyes as one student who he recognized as the Athletic Club Captain handed the covered kid a cheering megaphone. The stranger cleared his throat before putting his mouth close to the mouth of the megaphone and spoke.

"HELLO, ROYAL WOODS ELEMENTARY! MY NAME IS BALOR!"

Balor?

"AND I REPRESENT ALL THE CLUBS THAT PRINCIPAL HUGGINS HAS JUST SHUT DOWN! STARTING TODAY, EVERY SINGLE EX-MEMBER OF THOSE CLUBS ARE BOYCOTTING OUR CLASSES!"

WHAT?!

"I KNOW YOU'RE LISTENING, HUGGINS, SO LISTEN CLOSE. IF YOU THINK YOU CAN ASK EVERYONE OF THESE PEOPLE TO CLOSE THEIR CLUBS, JUST LIKE THAT, NO COMPROMISE, NO NOTHING, THEN YOU HAVE ANOTHER THING COMING! WE HAVE SAY IN THIS MATTER BECAUSE THIS AFFECTS US TOO!"

At this point, Huggins looked around, and saw students and teachers crowding around the windows of their classroom, eyes wide at they took in the spectacle.

"AND THIS GOES FOR THE STUDENTS THAT HAVE EYES ON US RIGHT NOW!" Balor shouted as he pointed towards the school. "WHAT HAPPENS WITH US WILL EVENTUALLY HAPPEN TO YOU! YOU CAN THINK TO YOURSELF THAT AS LONG AS YOU KEEP YOUR HEAD DOWN AND FOLLOW THE RULES, THEN PRINCIPAL HUGGINS SPARE YOU. BUT LOOK AT THE CLUBS THAT HAD BEEN DISBANDED. WE HAVE THE TECH CLUB, THE MATH CLUB, THE ZOOLOGY CLUB, ALL STUFF I'M SURE IS PRETTY EDUCATIONAL. YET HUGGINS ASKED THEM TO DISBAND AS WELL. I GUESS JUST BECAUSE THEY WEREN'T SOMETHING THAT TOOK PLACE IN A CLASSROOM. SO TELL ME, HUGGINS…"

The principal had to resist sweating as he felt all eyes on him.

"HOW MUCH ARE YOU WILLING TO PUT ON THE ALTAR FOR 'GRADES?'"

All around him, he could hear the students starting to whisper worriedly before their teachers tried their best to maintain order. All the while, he felt the collar of his shirt get uncomfortably warm. Pulling at it, Wilbur Higgins forced himself to stay and see what else that Balor was going to throw.

"TO THE STUDENTS OF ROYAL WOODS ELEMENTARY, LET ME WARN YOU. A DOMINO IS FALLING HERE, AND YOU HAVE TWO CHOICES. EITHER LET THE DOMINO FALL, AND HOPE THAT THE OTHER DOMINOES DON'T FALL ON YOU… OR COME FIND US."

With that, Balor stared at Huggins.

"WE'LL BE HERE AS LONG AS WE NEED TO."

Smacking the megaphone rhythmically, he turned to the protestors, leaving Huggins to now stare at his back. Huggins was locked in place for a few minutes, before turning away. As he continued down the halls, he could hear the chanting coming from the outside. It wasn't long before Mrs. Johnson found Huggins and jogged towards him.

"Wilbur, is it true? Are they really going to boycott classes?"

"Don't be sure." I'm pretty sure. "I'm sure that they'll give it up after one day." That Balor didn't seem like the kind of person that knew he was going to make tsunamis after his waves.

"Wilbur…" Mrs. Johnson groaned as she rubbed her face. "Maybe you should hear them out."

"Agnes, you can't mean that I reward them for their stunt. Need I remind you that there are at least 50 kids out there, disrupting classes with their chanting. We do not need to set a precedent where one can get what they want by gathering a group of people and getting them to scream their heads off."

"Wilbur, can you blame them when the precedent that you sent for them is that you came into their rooms, told them to stop their activities and their club is now disbanded, and all without giving an actual justifiable reason?"

"My actual justifiable reason is that their clubs are taking away from possible study time that they could be using in order to further their grades."

"Are you serious? Principal Huggins, even if I accepted that, that excuse only covers such clubs like the Athletic Club or the Chess Club. That excuse is practically bunk when you also asked Math Club and Morticians Club to disband as well. I mean, have you visited the Morticians Club recently? One of their youngest members, Lucy, could accurately recite all 206 adult human bones. And she is only in the third grade, THE THIRD GRADE. Wilbur, I still need a book to do that."

At this point, Principal Huggins couldn't look Mrs. Johnson in the eye.

"Wilbur, what is going on? You know as well as I do that this is no single solution to making grades go up overnight. So let me ask again, what is going on?"

Just as Huggins felt compelled to answer, Clyde ran past them. Mrs. Johnson noticed him.

"Clyde? What are you doing?"

Clyde stopped for a moment and looked directly at Mrs. Johnson, ignoring the principal beside her.

"Sorry, Mrs. Johnson, but I believe L-Balor. I don't think it's right for a club to get shut down for no good reason. Don't worry, when this is all over with, I'll make up the work." With that, Clyde rushed down the hall, leaving two gobsmacked adults alone in the hallway, before a few more students passed both of them.

"DON'T WORRY, LIAM! YOUR BRO RUSTY IS COMING!"

"WHA- RUSTY, COME BACK HERE!" Mrs. Johnson shouted as she gave chase, leaving Huggins . The principal was left alone, before he sighed as he continued back to his office, watching more students. It seemed redundant to make an announcement to tell them the consequences, seeing the burning look in their eyes already told him that they would not be dissuaded from their path.

Still, protocol demanded that he should anyway.

As he entered his office, his secretary looked up and pointed to the phone. Principal Huggins sighed.

"More concerned parents?"

His secretary nodded. "More concerned parents."

"Wonderful." Huggins sighed. "Not." He muttered under his breath.

"Sir, what do you plan to do about what's happening out there?" His secretary asked as he opened the door to his office. Huggins paused for a moment as he thought seriously about what he could do.

"Frankly, I plan to do nothing. We can't call the police, since the protest is happening on school property and they're still technically under our jurisdiction, and frankly, we don't need another two days of 'concerned parents calling.' For now, we'll have to try to starve them out, make them wait long enough. Tell the cafeteria staff they are not to feed anyone who protests out there."

"Sir?"

"It'll only be for one day, and from what I saw, I'm sure the protesters out there might have already planned ahead and packed lunches with them. Now if that is all your concerns, I have quite the morning to work through."

His secretary nodded as she went back to her own work. Meanwhile, Huggins sighed as he sat in his chair and picked up the phone.

'Thank goodness that it is Friday…' Huggins thought gladly to himself as he picked up the phone and greeted the parent.

* * *

"Here you go." Balor said as he handed part of his sandvich to Rusty, who grabbed it and started munching on it.

"Thanks, Balor!" Rusty said, his mouth full. "You're a lifesaver!"

"Don't thank me. If you're serious about this, just be sure to bring your own lunch next time, because I'm sure Huggins ain't going to let you eat at the cafeteria now." Balor said as he inspected what was left of his own lunch.

"Frankly, not much is lost." Rusty said with a smile as he walked away.

"Geez, that is pretty savage." Balor retorted, before he looked around him, taking inventory of the situation. During the day, their numbers had swelled, from the original 60, which consisted of the club members and some close friends, to breaking the 100 mark. Just as it was time for lunch, it soon became apparent that the ones that had just joined had done so without packing a pack lunch. Thankfully, everyone else had came prepared with a little bit extra, with special thanks to the Athletic Club, who's large bodies certainly required quite a few more calories than him. Still, everyone looked like they had something to eat, so that was good.

Just as he was about to eat what was left of his lunch, he spied someone familiar coming near Lucy, who was talking to Haiku and the rest of the Morticians Club. Sighing, he put away his sandwich and started to make his way towards the scene. As he came closer, he could hear his two sisters arguing.

"Lucy, what are you doing here? I expect this out of Lynn or Lana, but not you. You better get back to class before this becomes permanent on your record."

Lucy took a bite of her sandwich, chewed for a little bit, swallowed, then washed it down with a swig from her water bottle.

"Lisa, I know, and frankly, I don't care. Thank you for your concern, now I suggest you go back before the teachers somehow think that you're trying to join."

Lisa narrowed her eyes.

"I think you should care. So your little extracurricular activity is defunct. Frankly, there are more important things to worry about, and you're letting your attachment lead you into this utter foolishness."

At that, Lucy's mouth became a thin line.

"Lisa, you're my sister, and despite our differences, I still love you. For that sake, please leave before I do something that I regret."

Lisa blinked, unsure of how much Lucy intended to carry out that threat. The two siblings became quiet, unsure of what else to say to make the other see her side. Balor soon decided to step in.

"Hey, something wrong here?" Balor asked as he stepped into view. Lisa gave him a bitter glare before turning around and going. As Lisa disappeared back into the school, Lucy sighed, or at least, muttered "Sigh."

"You alright?" Balor asked.

"...I don't know. I never saw myself doing something like this, and I don't think my sister did either. Part of me knew that people weren't going to like what we did, but the idea of one of my sisters now against me…" Lucy fell silent.

"Well, no one ever said that anything worthwhile was usually gonna get handed out…" Balor said, rubbing the back of his head. "Still, as long as you believe in your cause, I think that whatever happens, you'll be strong enough to face it."

Lucy played around with the words in his head, before smiling. "Thank you."

Balor nodded. "No problem. By the way, did you guys tell the others where you'll be meeting?"

The small Goth nodded her head. "Yeah, I'm sure everyone knows."

"Good." Balor said as he turned towards the school, hearing the school bell ring, signaling the end of lunch.

And a few more hours until Balor met with the principal.

* * *

Balor tapped his finger on his bicep as he watched the stream of students exit the school from his hiding spot, the protestors eventually joining in the crowd. Once the stream turned into a trickle, Balor made his move. The disguised boy looked around, before entering in the school.

His body tensed as he made his way through the halls, his eyes eventually spotted Principal Huggins' office. Looking around and listening for any nearby footsteps, he carefully peered into the window, before crouching down and moving to the side. Not a moment later, the secretary opened the door, the door almost slamming into Balor by an inch.

"I'll be going now, Principal Huggins. Be sure to get your wallet on my desk." The secretary called out, giving Balor enough time to grab a pebble from his coat pocket. Looking for a far enough locker, he discretely threw it, hearing a sound as it impacted against the metal door.

"Huh?" The secretary went to investigate, letting Balor slip in before the door shut. Now standing in the reception room, Balor inwardly sighed as he prepared to give his ultimatum to Huggins: reinstate or reach a compromise with the clubs, or they will continue the protest. As Balor was about to reach for the door, he could hear Huggins talking on the phone, and quite loudly at that.

"Sir, I assure you that everything is fine at Royal Woods Elementary, so let us not do anything hasty!"

Curious, Balor picked up the secretary's phone and tried to listen in. Nothing. Resisting the urge to click his tongue, he continued to listen in.

"Yes, yes, everything's fine here. Any rumors that you heard are highly exaggerated. Yes, some kids might have been upset with our recent policy changes, but I'm sure that given a weekend, those students will eventually forget about this and move on with their lives…"

At that, Balor had to squash his desire to bust in there and give Huggins a piece of his mind. No, they will not forget and no, they are not just 'some kids.' Still, it was made clear that Huggins still didn't consider them an actual threat yet. Well, they would have to remedy that soon, or at least, appear like they were planning to.

Just as Balor was about to leave, he remembered something that the secretary had said. Looking around on the desk, his eyes fell upon a brown wallet that was sitting in the middle. Both thanking and berating the secretary for being so careless, Balor popped open the wallet and rifled through it, until he found Huggins' credit card.

As he took out, some part of him screamed to put it back and just get out of the room before anyone caught. Balor promptly told that part to shut up and sit down in the nice little corner of his head. Grabbing a nearby pen and a piece of paper, Balor quickly copied the credit card information, before stuffing the paper into his pocket and putting everything back to normal. Just as Balor was about to exit the room, he looked at the door where Huggins was still talking and gave a small smirk.

"Have a nice weekend, Huggins. You're gonna hate Monday." With that whispered promise, Balor shut the door, with Huggins none the wiser of who had been in the room.

* * *

The ride home was awkward, and she meant AWKWARD. Lynn looked around the interior of Vanzilla, trying her best not to appear she was doing so. Other than the quiet, it looked like the rest of her siblings were just quiet, literally exhausted from rigorous schooling and wanting to go home.

The little things told a different story. Every time Lori had to stop for a red light, her fingers started tapping specific parts of the wheel, as if she had her phone in hand. Leni continuously looked back at her younger siblings, each time chewing her lips. Lola and Lana were quiet for the time being, which was disturbing enough. But the real spectacle was Lucy and Lisa, who were seated in the same row, yet looked like they were trying to merge with the car doors. Lynn blew a lock of hair out of her face.

So...Lucy had joined Occupy Royal Woods Elementary. At least, that was the name that given to the protest that apparently just occurred outside the elementary school, according to all the rumors. Frankly, the only reason she believed it was how Lisa practically ranted about how it 'disrupted the classes and how it 'made hooligans out of decent people.'

Judging from how tightly Lucy was holding her book, it took all of Lucy's patience to not throttle Lisa on the spot. Thankfully, that was at the beginning of the ride, when Lincoln came out with notes for Lucy's classes, making Lisa at least content that someone wasn't drawn to Balor's nuttiness.

Yet, that was the thing that stood out to Lynn the most. Lincoln had stayed in school.

Now Lynn knew that Lincoln was pretty close to Lucy, both being the oddballs of the family. Heck, she was even sure that she once overheard him and Clyde talking about starting up a Ghost Hunting Club in school. Yet, Lincoln chose to stay in school, probably to avoid getting punished. That told Lynn one thing.

The drug was wearing off, and Lynn didn't know how to feel about that.

On one hand, she was sad. She didn't take advantage of the time she had the way she liked. sure, she sparred with Lincoln, but that was to help him out, make him feel better about himself. She wanted to play with him, kick the soccer ball, throw the pigskin around, something like that...

Yet, there was something about how candid Lincoln was, how casually he trashed himself, that just made her feel wrong. To think that Lincoln had ever felt that way about himself. Even worse, knowing that he probably would have never said anything about this if he hadn't taken the drug...

Lynn snapped out of her introspection as Vanzilla stopped, the sound of Lori applying the handbrakes breaking her concentration. As everyone piled out of Vanzilla, Lynn slowly made her way up to the front door, letting everyone else rush past her, until she was the only one left on the front porch. The Athlete switched from reaching for the doorknob to pulling her hand away, before Lynn sighed and let her hand drop.

Old Lincoln was coming back, and she wasn't sure about how to feel about that. Part of her felt glad, part of her felt sad. It was such a conflicting sensation that threatened to swallow her up. So she did the only thing she could do at that moment.

Setting her backpack down, she sat down on the stairs and waited. After a while, Lori popped out, eyes still on the phone as her fingers typed up her next response. "Lynn, you okay?"

"Uhh...Yeah." Lynn replied. "I'm just gonna wait for Lincoln. I wanna get in some sparring with him."

"Well, have fun and try not to break him, Lynn." With that, Lori went back inside, leaving Lynn alone with her thoughts.

Finally, after a while, Lynn spotted a familiar orange shirt walking down the street, coming towards the house. As Lincoln walked into their yard, he noticed Lynn.

"Lynn...hey."

Lynn nodded at him.

"Hey."

She inwardly took a breath.

"You wanna spar?"

Lynn prepared herself for the inevitable 'no.'

"You sure? Don't you got something to do today?" Lincoln asked.

"No, I'm free."

"Alright, sure. Just let me get my stuff." As Lincoln passed Lynn, he didn't notice the peculiar look on her face, before it disappeared.

'Just enjoy it while you can, Lynn...'

* * *

Author's Note:

Holy shoot, I'm so sorry for this chapter taking two weeks and probably being lower quality (at least from my standpoint). I guess the backlash from November was stronger than I thought. I could probably use a Beta Reader or something.

Hopefully, it was worth the wait, and at least you get something out of this. Also, feel free to PM me if you want to discuss the plot points.

And in case this chapter wasn't to your liking, then don't worry. The next chapter might have something a bit more dramatic...


	8. Who We Are In The Dark

BETA READER: InquisitorJeeves

* * *

"COME ON, LINC! KEEP UP YOUR STANCE!" Lynn, dressed in her exercise clothes, shouted as she smacked her training pads together. Across from her, Lincoln, dressed in some old clothing, was breathing deeply, his fists slightly lowered as drops of sweat felt from his face.

The two had been sparring for quite a while, switching roles between the two. It was a pattern that went from Lynn showing Lincoln the moves while getting in some practice of her own, to Lincoln practicing what Lynn showed him while Lynn pointed out his mistakes and flaws. At this point, the sun was starting to set and Lynn started to fear that Lincoln was going to call for an end, his body's exhaustion over riding his mind's desire to continue.

She didn't let her exhilaration show as Lincoln took a deeper breath than usual before lifting his fists back into stance, his face still determined.

"Alright, Linc. One more time!" Lynn shouted, still mindful that Linc was probably starting to run on fumes.

"1-2!"

Linc jabbed with his left, a quick little motion, that barely smacked against Lynn's glove, before punching with his right, shifting his weight and extending his arm more fully. Lynn stepped back, her hands feeling the impact.

"1-2-3!"

Linc jabbed with his left, punched with his right, before hooking with his left, making sure to keep the arm from swinging widely. Lynn caught them all, before smacking gloves one more time.

"1-1-2!"

Linc stepped forward, jabbing twice, before smashing Lynn's gloves with another right.

"2-3-2!"

Linc took a breath, before smashing one of Lynn's gloves with a left straight. Just as Linc reset his stance, he smashed Lynn's other glove with a right straight. Finally, Linc gritted his teeth as he smashed Lynn's glove with a left straight, sending her hand upward and forcing himself off-balance and sending himself into the ground face first. Groaning and breathing heavily, he rolled over and wiped sweat from his brow in time to see Lynn standing over him.

"LINCOLN!" Lynn scolded as she returned the hand to her side. "You know better than that, focus on finishing the motion before trying to act like it was the finishing blow. I could totally take advantage of you right now. In fact…"

Lynn's devilish grin was all the warning he received before Lynn was on him, patting him on the face and smearing his sweat all over his face.

"LYNN! COME ON!" Lincoln shouted in protest, waving his arms futilely as Lynn set her weight on his waist, preventing him from getting up and getting away.

"Come on, Linc. TAP OUT!" Lynn grinned as she continued her mischief. Lincoln groaned as he smacked his hand against the floor repeatedly. Even then, it took a few moments before Lynn actually acknowledged him and got off, letting Lincoln sit up.

"Come on, bro. Put up a better fight next time, will ya?" Lynn smirked as she took off the sparring gloves and grabbed the two water bottles that were sitting on the backyard stairs. Looking over her shoulder, she tossed one of them over to Lincoln, who missed it by a fingertip.

Picking it up and brushing off any stray bits of grass, Lincoln practically ripped the cap off the bottle, before greedily chugging the water. The plastic crinkled as he squeezed the bottle, trying to force the life giving liquid into his mouth and down his parched gullet faster. Finally, he set the water bottle down, the bottle only holding a fourth of what was originally in it. Lynn whistled, sitting down next to him, drinking her own water at a more sedate pace.

"Gee, Lincoln, calm down, I don't exactly have a handle on CPR." Lynn teased as she lightly punched Lincoln on the arm.

"Yes, ma'am." Linc replied glibly as he raised the bottle to his lips, drinking more slowly now that his raging thirst had somewhat had been sedated.

"Other than that, pretty good job, Linc. Other than that little slip at the end, you're getting better at this. Getting better at your stances, your punches, the way you throw your punches, you certainly got better at this than when I had to teach you earlier in the week." Lynn then smirked as she blew on her nails then exaggerated checking on them.

"Mind you, take it from me, keep this up and you might actually give me a run for my money some day."

Lincoln looked away, contemplative.

"Give you a run for your money someday, huh?"

"Yeah," Lynn said as she took a sip of her own. "You're still pretty far from that."

"Hmm…" Lincoln hummed as he took another sip.

"What are you thinking about? Trying to think of that day?" Lynn smirked as she leaned in. "Keep dreaming, Linc. That day is still pretty fa-"

At that, Lincoln spewed the water in his mouth into Lynn's face. Lynn shouted as she closed her eyes, dropping her water as she raised her hands to shield her face. Just as she did this, she felt a weight push against her, forcing her onto the ground, before the weight settled on her. Before she could wipe the water off, she hear a hand smack the ground three times rapidly, before the weight was off her, and he could hear Lincoln cheering.

"AND THE CROWD GOES WILD! LOCO LINC HAS JUST PINNED LUNATIC LYNN! WHAT AN UPSET!"

Lynn wiped the excess water from her face as she stared at Lincoln incredulously.

"I...Wha...THAT WASN'T FAIR, I WASN'T READY FOR ANYTHING!" Lynn frowned. Lincoln merely smirked back.

"Does it matter? What matters is that I pinned your shoulders to the ground for a three count."

"THAT'S WRESTLING!"

Lincoln shrugged, his lopsided grin still on his face. "Still means I won."

"LET ME CATCH YOU AND WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS THEN!" Lynn viciously smiled, before springing for Lincoln. To his credit, Lincoln barely managed to dodge, letting Lynn sail to his right, before immediately running away.

"HEY, GET BACK HERE!" Lynn shouted as she began to give chase to Lincoln.

"Naw, I'm good!" Lincoln said as he took another sip of water before splashing the reminder behind him. Lynn saw the splash incoming and leaned to the left, letting the water sail over her shoulder, before forcing herself to go faster. Lincoln simply smiled as he forced himself to run faster too, before running for the tree, Lynn hot on his tail.

Lynn thought smart, changing direction, and stopping in front of Lincoln as he ran around the tree, arms open wide. Lincoln quickly reacted, changing directions and running the other way. Lynn just had to jump to the other side, stopping Linc there. Both were at a standstill, Linc's smirk facing against Lynn's slowly turning genuine smile.

"Give it up, Linc. I got you surrounded, at least on this side! You got nowhere to go!" Lynn boasted, sure that she had Lincoln right where she wanted him. Lincoln didn't respond for a moment, his smirk still just as wide.

Then he sprayed water from his mouth right into Lynn's face.

"OH COME ON!" Lynn cried out as she wiped the excess water from his face.

"I GOT YOU TWICE WITH THAT! TWICE!" Lincoln cackled as he ran away. Lynn continued wiping the water from her face, the smile on her lips only getting wider.

"You're just full of tricks, aren't you, Linc?" Lynn grinned, feeling the undeniable urge of competition urging her to beat Lincoln. Once her eyes were clear, she immediately saw Lincoln racing for the backdoor.

'Have as much of a headstart as you like, Linc.' Lynn thought to herself as she got into a runner's stance. 'I'LL CATCH UP TO YOU IN A HEARTBEAT!'

With the sound of a signal gun firing off in her ear, she took off like a rocket, her eyes set on one target. Lincoln turned back to taunt her again, only for whatever he was about to say to be lost as she slammed into his midsection, sending them both airborne. Lincoln's chest then collided with the ground, making him gasp for a moment.

"GOTCHA!" Lynn shouted triumphantly as she studied the back of Linc's head, contemplating what to do. Then she grinned, before wrapping her hands around Lincoln's chin and pulling back.

"CAMEL CLUTCH!" Lynn shouted as she felt Lincoln's hands try to pry her hands off his chin. Lynn merely tightened her grip, leaving nothing for Lincoln's hands to grab on. After a few more moments of pulling, Lynn's smile turned savage as she felt Lincoln's hand smack against her arm repeatedly.

"SAY I TAP!"

"I TAP!"

"SAY I GIVE UP AND THAT I WIN!"

"I GIVE UP AND YOU WIN!"

"NOW TRY TO PAT YOUR TUMMY AND RUB YOUR HEAD!"

"LYNN, COME ON!"

Lynn merely leaned back. Lincoln groaned loudly, before proceeding to do the tasks.

"Alright Linc, since I'm feeling in a good mood..." With that, Lynn let her grip loosen, letting Lincoln flop to the ground face first. Getting off him, Lynn then raised her own arms in the air.

"OH BUT WHAT'S THIS? IN A NOT SO SURPRISING TURN OF EVENTS, LUNATIC LYNN JUST MADE LOCO LINC TAP! NOT BAD FOR THE NUMBER ONE HERE!"

Just then, something smacked against Lynn's head. Lynn stopped her self-aggrandizing and looked around. There, next to her feet, was an empty water bottle, and Lincoln's outstretched hand still there. Almost immediately, Lynn was in Lincoln's face.

"What the heck was that, Lincoln? Did you just throw a water bottle at my head? Why did you do that?" Lynn hissed.

Lincoln was dead silent and stoic, not even flinching before speaking in a low tone.

"'What was that?' You're seriously asking that?"

Then Lincoln's stoic face practically disappeared as he snarled. "YOU KEPT IN THE CAMEL CLUTCH, EVEN WHEN I WAS TAPPING! AND THAT WAS AFTER YOU BASICALLY TACKLED ME TO THE GROUND! WHAT THE HECK!"

Lynn backed up, surprised by Lincoln's outburst, before it registered that Lincoln was talking back to her. Almost immediately, she recognized that there was an argument happening. She then made her usual association with that word.

Argument meant competition, and Lynn Loud Jr. didn't lose in competition.

Making her decision, Lynn gained back her bravado as she stepped forward.

"What? Is that seriously what you're complaining about? You could have gotten out of it." Lynn then mimed wiping water from her face. "Besides, you sprayed water into my face. What did you expect me to do, let it go?"

"No, what I expected you to do was maybe get your own water and start trying to spray me with it, or even even put me in the ankle lock, or something like that. What I didn't expect was YOU TRYING TO BREAK MY NECK! SERIOUSLY, I WAS TAPPING AND YOU KEPT IT ON. HECK, I'M PRETTY SURE THAT YOU EVEN TRIED TO LEAN BACK FURTHER! THAT'S WHAT I'M COMPLAINING ABOUT!"

"Oh, wah wah." Lynn mocked. "All I'm hearing is a sore loser baby who just can't accept that his big sister won."

Lincoln stared at her. "What does winning have to do with this?"

"Uhh, you pinned me, so I made you submit." Lynn explained, like she was explaining a new concept to a newborn baby. "Why, are you trying to redefine the record?"

"...Lynn, do you know what F-U-N spells?"

"...Fun?"

"Yeah, and you know what that is?" Lincoln asked as he stared Lynn down. "SOMETHING YOU DON'T KNOW HOW TO HAVE!"

Lynn stared at him, before snorting derisively. "Are you serious, Lincoln? It's not my fault that you can't handle my fun…"

The silence coming from Lincoln was palpable, before Lincoln threw up his hands and started to walk away. "Sometimes I wonder why I talk to you about this kinds of things. What was I expecting? What should I expect?"

Just as Lincoln was a bit further away, he turned back to look at Lynn, a bit of distaste in his eyes, before continuing to walk away. "Frankly, this is why I don't like playing with you, Lynn."

...Huh?

"Your idea of fun is basically you throwing around just how better you are, and always having to be number one. I could take being rough, you know that. You know well that if the chips are down, I gladly go one on one with you. But every time I play with you, that means every time I have to deal with you going on about being first, and making sure that I know that I was less better than you. And I hate that, I really do."

With that, Lincoln climbed back up the stairs to the back door. As he opened it, he didn't even turn back to look at Lynn.

"But hey, keep thinking that I'm just whining more, and I'm just jealous of your awesomeness. Never change, Lynn. It's what you're good at."

Lincoln closed the door, leaving Lynn alone in the yard, and staring at the door. After a while, the glow of victory faded away, leaving the sporty girl alone with an empty feeling. As she mechanically picked up the gloves and put them away in the garage, she looked back at the door, before picking up the empty water bottles and entered the house through the back door, right into the rest of her siblings.

"Lynn, what happened out there?" Lori asked, her attention off the phone still in her hand. "We heard shouting, then Lincoln just came in here, walked right past us, and upstairs. Did something happen between you two?"

Lynn immediately picked out the hidden meaning. _Did you do anything to him?_ Part of her already wanted to say that Lincoln was just having a bad day, that he just couldn't take the heat for today. But the sight of his eyes immediately stopped that part dead in its tracks.

"I didn't hurt him!" Lynn said, defending herself. "It was...It…Look, it doesn't matter! I'm sure Lincoln will be alright when mom and dad come home. I'm gonna go and take a nap."

Trying to look like she wasn't going to answer any more question, she shoved her way past her older siblings, and started walking up the stairs. Hearing indistinct conversation coming from the kitchen, she stopped for a bit, before continuing up once she realized that no one was trying to follow her. Thanking her lucky stars, Lynn quickly and quietly made her way up the stairs, only to stop when she reached the top.

Looking to her right, she saw Lincoln's bedroom door, completely closed and with not a sound to even confirm that Lincoln was even inside. Looking between her room and his room, she sighed, before walking towards her and Lucy's bedroom. Opening the door, she didn't bother changing as she flopped face first onto her bed.

Adjusting her position, she laid on her side as she hugged her pillow. Why was she feeling this way? It was just Lincoln taking everything way too seriously. She knew her limits, she wasn't trying to break his neck, so why was he going nuclear, saying all that stuff about her? That was all that he was saying, just stuff.

Stuff that hurt.

Lynn shut her eyes, trying to will herself to go to sleep, so that she could wake up after a good nap. Then everything was going to be fine, with Lincoln and her making up, and certainly doing stuff for the rest of the weekend. Yeah, that would be nice, being able to spend more time with her brother before the drug wore off completely.

Huh, the drug…

When she first gave the drug to Lincoln, she thought that was it. That everything she feared about her relationship with Lincoln was going to be solved and it was only to be home runs and touchdowns from then on. Yet, the eyes that Lincoln showed her, the arguments they just had,

Why did it feel like the gulf between them just gotten wider?

* * *

"What's wrong, Lincoln? Aren't you hungry?" Rita asked her son, who was simply messing around with his own spaghetti and meatballs.

"Huh? Yeah, I guess I don't have much of an appetite." Lincoln replied back, not even looking up from his plate.

"Did something happen between you and junior?" Lynn Loud Sr. asked as he looked between his son and his sports-driven daughter, who was eating with a bit more vigor. The two people in question looked at each other, before shaking their heads.

"Nah." "No."

Rita narrowed her eyes. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah." "Yep."

Rita had to curse the fact that they were sitting at two different tables, and that made it kind of hard to glare at both of them. Nonetheless, the matriarch of the Loud family sighed and went back to her food, hoping that whatever problem that the two had between themselves could be resolved without having to force the issue.

Dinner was quiet for the most part, the only sounds were the tapping of silverware against plate, with none of the noise that would have happened at this time. All the people there were too focused on the events that had happened today, as well as one that had happened recently. And majority of them didn't know what to think about it.

After all, Lincoln usually never took sides when it came to his siblings.

When their parents had came home, Lisa had tried to tell on them about Lucy's truancy, only for Lucy to be able to say what her lessons for the day were. As punishment, Lisa had to apologize and stay in her room for the time being. As Lisa left and their parents watched, Lincoln nodded to Lucy, who hesitated before nodding back.

To the rest of the sisters that had witnessed it, it was strange, offputting. After all, Lincoln probably would have done something to make sure that both of them would have gotten out of that situation fine. Yet, he chose not to this time.

They just didn't know what to make of it.

After a few more minutes of Lincoln playing around with his food and forcing himself to eat some of it, he pushed it away from him.

"I'm done. Can I go up to my room now?"

Lynn Loud Sr. nodded. Just as Lincoln scooted away from the table, Rita Loud stopped him.

"Actually, Lincoln." Rita Loud got a plate of spaghetti and handed it to him. "Can you take this to Lisa in her room? She's still a growing girl."

Lincoln nodded as he took the plate. Lucky for Lisa, he was planning on heading up to his room. Just as he left the dining room, he could felt someone still staring at him. It only took him a glance for him to decide to not give the person any more attention.

It wasn't like Lynn needed or deserved more of that, in his opinion.

Quickly climbing up the stairs, he made his way to Lisa and Lily's room and knocked on the door, holding the plate of spaghetti with one hand. However, the door creaked open, not having been closed all the way. Lincoln shrugged, before walking through the door.

"Hey, Lisa. I got dinner here for you. Where do you want it?" Lincoln asked, before realizing that his genius sister was busy with one of her experiments. Part of him wanted to leave, yet that was overruled by his curiosity.

Setting his sister's dinner on the nearest cleanest surface, he walked forward, trying to see what exactly Lisa was working on. From what he could see, there was a mouse running around a handmade maze, with Lisa writing down some numbers in a notebook. Nearby was a pile of pills that Lisa occasionally took one from, looked at it all angles, then set it back, mumbling to herself as she wrote some more in her notebook. Lincoln took all of this in, and thought to himself.

'Wow, never thought I'd see a mouse with the same fur color as me.'

"Hey, Lisa. Dinner's here."

"GAH! EINSTEIN'S PRIZES!" Lisa screamed as she jumped from her seat, turned around, and tried to grab something as a weapon. Once she realized that it was only Lincoln, she sighed as she took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes.

"For goodness sake, Lincoln, do not trigger my fight-or-flight response again like that, or you will probably increase my chances of having heart disease later in life."

Lincoln frowned. "Maybe you should also train yourself to look around once in awhile. Pretty sure I was standing there for a while, before I gave myself away."

"Please," Lisa said as she put her glasses back on, and sat back in her chair. "This family already has one Lucy, we don't need another."

"Noted." Lincoln replied dryly. "By the way, dinner is on the table over there. Is that alright?"

Lisa took a look and nodded before going back to her experiment, quietly watching the mouse work through the maze. Yet something was weird about the mouse, and how it moved. After a while, Lincoln realized what was bothering him.

Fear.

The mouse was moving through the maze with no fear, seemingly filled with courage for one that usually seemed so small and timid. In fact, it reminded him of last Sunday, that first day when he felt like he was missing something. Good Lord, that felt like such a long time ago…

But that was the thing. Fear. That was the thing that he was missing. For a moment, he pushed everything out of his head, from the protests, Balor, and his disagreement with Lynn. He pushed it all away so he could he look over the past week with fresh eyes. After all, how did he now see it before?

He should have reacted to Lucy's constant appearing act. He should have stayed out of Lana and Lola's fight over the last pancake. He should have not been able to say no to Lynn the first time she had asked to play with him last Sunday. In fact, he would have never tried to go out as Balor ever.

He wondered why was it that he hadn't been concerned about this development before. Then thinking about it more carefully, he got his answer. After all, if he didn't feel worried about losing something, why would he even get worked up about it?

But now that left a troubling question: when did he lose his fear and how? And looking at the experiment that Lisa was running along with the white pills, he suddenly had a good idea of how it all started.

"Hey, Lisa. What are these pills doing here?" Lincoln asked as he picked a few up to examine them, looking closely at them as if they could tell him what they did. "Did you get into Dad's sleeping pills again?"

"NO! And unhand those variables right now!" Lisa said sternly as she turned around and glared at Lincoln. Lincoln dropped the pills he got back into the pile, swung his arms back, and held out his palms to show nothing left in his hands.

"Thank you." Lisa said tersely as she went back to her experiment.

"So what exactly are you working on here?" Lincoln asked, looking over Lisa's shoulder. Lisa looked at Lincoln, unenthused.

"I'm working on a pill that supposed to suppress a person's ability to feel fear. If you want to learn more, then do feel free to take a seat. I implore you to not be like the last person who asked about this pill."

There it was. Lisa was working on a no-fear pill, and somehow, he ingested it. Part of him wanted to scream at his genius sister, ready to tear into her for using him to test an untested drug. But then, he realized that wasn't Lisa's way of experimenting on them. Sure, there were times that she would run experiments on them, but she would always eventually reveal her involvement after the fact, once explaining how it would be 'easier to observe the effects without having to obfuscate herself. Yet, that still left the burning question.

Who then fed him the drug, because Lincoln was completely sure he would remember having to take a pill in the past week. Then something that Lisa said made him realize that the answer was possibly right in front of him.

"The last person, as in, only one other person knew about this?"

"Yes."

This was it. Whoever Lisa says was the last person to talk to her about this knew about the experiment, and managed to steal a pill for him to ingest. And frankly…

He didn't know what to feel about that person. But now…

"Who was it?"

He had to know.

* * *

She rolled to her left. She rolled to her right. She rolled onto her stomach, before rolling onto her back, eyes open wide. Finally, she couldn't take it.

Throwing the blankets off her, Lynn rubbed her eyes, before looking and glaring at the silent Lucy, sleeping like the dead in her own bed. 'Lucky.' Lynn thought to herself, before creeping quietly to the door. Once she closed the door, she continued her light footwork through the hall and down the stairs, until she reached the kitchen.

Looking through the cabinet, she took out a glass and filled it with water. Quickly drinking it, she put the glass near the sink for someone else to wash. Preparing herself for another possible hour of sleeplessness, she quietly made her way back up the stairs and was about to go back to her room, when she stopped and looked back.

There, at the end of the hallway, was Lincoln's room. Lynn looked between the door to her bedroom and the door to Lincoln's bedroom, before making her decision. Quietly creeping over to Lincoln's door, she brought her ear close to the door and began to listen. Immediately, she could hear the rustling of clothes. Taking a deep breath, she whispered.

"Lincoln?"

Almost immediately, she could hear the rustling come to a halt. Lynn waited for a moment, hoping that Lincoln would open his door, maybe even just show an eye through the crack, something. To her disappointment, the door remained closed. She tested the knob.

Not closed. Locked.

At this point, Lynn thought to herself that she should just let it go, just go to sleep, and hope that whatever thing had put Lincoln in a bad enough mood would be gone. Yet something about the way that they interacted in the past afternoon had haunted her. She knew that she and Lincoln could definity get into some crazy fights in the past, but nothing compared to this.

No fight in the past had ever made her feel this cold, made her this conscious of the sudden gap between the two of them.

She knew she had to say something.

"Lincoln…"

Come on, Lynnster. Say something! Anything! Every part of her screamed at her to say a word, say that magic word that could at least get Lincoln out of his room and just look at her. Then one part of her whispered.

Come on, Lynn. Just be honest with him.

That part Lynn squashed mercilessly. Lincoln didn't need to know that. Besides, this wasn't the time for mushy stuff like that.

"Lincoln...Hey, listen."

Okay, good enough start.

"You know that thing that happened in the backyard this afternoon?"

Keep it going, keep it going.

"Well… I'm…"

Yes, come on.

"I'm…"

Just spit it out.

"What I mean to say is…"

Spit it out, how hard can it be?

"I want to say…"

SPIT. IT. OUT.

"..."

No one respects a weakling, Lynn.

"I wanted to say that it's cool, like from me to you. So if you want to practice, we can practice anytime you want, okay?" With that, Lynn started walking back to her room, feeling...disappointed.

No one respects a weakling.

She had lived her life according to those words, yet for the first time, she questioned their meaning.

* * *

He heard her creep back to her room, just after what she said. It was a good thing that he had decided to to stick his chair underneath the doorknob to serve as a doorstop. It worked great as a deterrent for people trying to enter his room…

As well as a deterrent for him to suddenly rush out and scream right into Lynn's face.

He was sitting on the side of his bed, his knuckles white as his hands gripped each other tightly. He stared down at the ground, teeth clenched and forcing himself to stay quiet. He stayed in this position for a while, before something dripped onto the carpet.

He hurriedly rubbed his eyes with the sleeve of his jacket, and it came back wet.

So there it was. Lynn did it, and she didn't even confess. Heck, he wasn't going to deny it.

He wanted her to confess, to admit that she did something wrong. He wanted to be able to argue with the thoughts in his head.

He wanted to believe in Lynn.

Yet the time that he believed in her the most, she let him down the most.

In the end, Lynn didn't like him the way he was, and she didn't like him the way he is. So screw her.

SCREW HER.

Still, that now left him with a conundrum. He got off the bed, and looked over the lone item on his desk. It's a good thing that Lisa didn't count her pills more carefully, otherwise she would have noticed.

Picking up the pill, he looked at it carefully as he decided what to do. He could swallow it now, or swallow it later. Either way, the drug was going to wear off, and where was he going to be when that happened?

Yet something about that rankled him. The idea that all he had done, all he is, was nothing without the drug. Finally, he made his choice.

Finding a plastic zip bag, he gently placed the pill inside and put the bag underneath his socks.

Not yet. He at least wanted a chance. A chance to prove, at least to himself, one thing.

Balor was more than just a drug.

Putting on his sunglasses, hat, and mask, Balor pulled out a box underneath his bed, opening it up to reveal a rope made of old clothes and a few extras he had lying around. Opening the window, he looked around, and confirmed that no one was watching. Tying the rope around his bed, he gave a few experimental tugs, before nodding his head. Throwing the other end out the window, he climbed out and down the wall, before his feet felt solid ground. Tying the other end of the rope to the tree, he took a deep breath as he planned out his route.

Hopefully, he could find some scum to beat his frustrations on.

* * *

Author's Note:

The Drug of Balor...DRINK IT IN, MAN.

But on a serious note, hopefully this reveal was to your liking. I will admit, I wanted to make the first scene happier, to maybe have a reconciliation between Lynn and Lincoln and have them honestly discuss how they feel before the thing happens. But thinking it over, as well as looking at how Lincoln created the situation that would have created the moment, I don't think that Lynn is at the level yet where she would think that the answer would be to expose herself.

Anyways, let's hope that I can make one more chapter before the end of the year. Merry christmas and a happy new year. And a hope that 2018 will be less crazy.


	9. The Calm Night Before

BETA READER: InquisitorJeeves

* * *

Lynn was shaken awake, her eyes opening up slowly, her eyelids resisting the commands of her brain to open up.

"Guh...five more minutes." Lynn groaned as she tried to go back to sleep, rolling over to her side. Lucy just shook her shoulder again.

"Come on, Lynn. We have to get up early. Lola has a competition to go to, and she insisted that everyone come support her." Lucy explained.

Lynn turned to look at the goth, one eye slightly opened, before covering her head with her pillow and loudly groaning. Finally, she kicked the covers off as Lucy went out of the room to allow Lynn privacy. A few moments later, after some muffled cursing and rustling, Lynn came out, in the nicest/cleanest version of her usual get up that she could find.

Turning around, she saw Lincoln's door, still closed, and Lynn cursed Lola even more. She nearly managed to forget last night. "Lola better appreciate this…" Lynn frowned.

Looking between the door and the stairs, an inner struggle waged inside her. Last night just didn't sit well with her, nearly spending the entire night wondering if she could have done more. Finally, she made her decision.

Grumble.

She could talk with Lincoln later, right now she was starving. Besides, she probably would have a better idea of what to say on a full stomach. Running down the stairs, she jumped over the last two steps and looked into the kitchen. There, her dad was setting out more pancakes while more and more of her sisters were sitting down and taking a few onto their plates, while Lola merely chewed on some cereal, since she held herself to a rule of no junk food before a pageant.

Lynn pitied the pageant contestant as she sat down, pierced three pancakes with her fork, slathered them in syrup, and immediately starting chowing down. Just as she was about to go for seconds, her mother's voice made her stop.

"Leni, can you go wake up your brother? He should have been down by now." Her mother's words made Lynn actually look up from her food, and realize that Lincoln wasn't at the younger kids table.

"Okay!" With that, Leni got up from the table and walked upstairs. Lynn went back to her food, but it wasn't long before Leni came back down and sat at the table, before continuing to eat her food. Lynn noticed this and looked back at the younger kids table, only to see that Lincoln was still not there.

"Hey, Leni. Where's Lincoln? I thought Mom told you to go get him." Lynn asked

"Hmm?" Leni looked up, a bit of pancake still in her mouth. Swallowing the morsel, she spoke. "Oh, Linky said that he wasn't going. So I left him in his room. Is Linky doing something else today?"

"WHAT!?" Before anyone could react, Lola immediately jumped out of her seat, the chair falling over as she rushed up the stairs and started banging on the door. "LINCOLN!"

"Hey, be careful!" Rita shouted as she picked up the chair and inspected the floor for any damage, before setting it aside and going upstairs. Lynn blinked, confused at this turn of events, before quickly gobbling up any last morsels on her plate before climbing up the stairs with the rest of the sisters.

Looking around the corner, they saw Lola banging her fist on Lincoln's door, before screaming again. "LINCOLN, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! I NEED YOU AND THE OTHERS TO WATCH ME!"

"No, I don't feel like it." Lincoln responded clearly, showing that he wasn't half-asleep and was fully awake in giving his answer.

"WELL, YOU BETTER FEEL LIKE IT, BECAUSE YOU ARE GOING!" Lola screamed, a little incensed that she couldn't use her cuteness to get Lincoln to obey. After all, what good was touting her cuteness if the person she wanted to convince didn't even see her face?

Growling, she tried to open the door. The door knob turned, but every time she tried to push the door open, something blocked her way. The more the door simply refused to open, Lola got angrier and angrier, before she was just slamming her body against the door, ready to break the door down, or hurt herself in the process.

However, it was her mother that made the decision for her, stopping Lola from trying to turn herself into a human battering ram, and putting her near the stairs near the rest of her sisters, before knocking gently.

"Lincoln, what are you doing? You know that the entire family comes out to support everyone at their events." Rita said, hoping that a small modicum of sense could get through to Lincoln. Unfortunately, she would be disappointed.

"I don't feel like it." Lincoln replied tersely.

"Why don't you feel like it?" Rita asked.

"I just don't. And believe me, you do not want me there."

"Why?" Rita pressed forward.

"Because I'm still pissed."

Rita gasped. "Lincoln, language!"

"Sorry, but it's true. Pretty sure it's bad luck to show up to events like I am."

At that moment, Lynn came up and tried to push her mother away, clearly rattled by Lincoln's claims. "WELL, YOU HEARD LINCOLN! LET'S GO AHEAD AND LEAVE HIM! YOU'RE RIGHT, LINC. BAD MOJO IS NO GOOD FOR PAGEANT GOERS!"

Rita resisted Lynn's pushing, just barely anyway. "I heard that you and Lynn had a fight yesterday. Are you still mad about that?"

The silence from Lincoln was telling.

"GUYS!" Lynn Loud Sr. called from downstairs. "LET'S MOVE. I MIGHT HAVE FORGOTTEN TO CALIBRATE THE CLOCKS LAST NIGHT AND WE MIGHT ACTUALLY BE THIRTY MINUTES AHEAD!"

"Lincoln, we're about to go now. Are you sure about this?" Rita Loud asked.

"Yeah."

"FINE!" Lola screamed at the door. "GO READ YOUR DUMB COMICS, I DON'T NEED YOU! YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND SKIP ALL MY PAGEANTS!"

With a sniffle and a huff, Lola stomped downstairs, leaving everyone behind. As the rest of the group minus Lincoln made their way down, Rita stopped Lynn.

"Lynn, I do not know what happened yesterday, but when we return, you go ahead and make up with your brother, okay?"

Lynn nodded. 'Though that might be harder than you think.'

But as the group were about to cross the door, Luan smacked her head. "D'oh, I knew I forgot to check my cameras for footage! Oh well, I'm sure that they'll be there when we get back."

With that, Luan closed the door.

* * *

It was quiet in the Loud House, a near rarity, that was soon shattered by the sound of something large moving and a boy's grunts.

Creeping through the hallway, Lincoln soon stood in front of Luan and Luna's room. Turning the knob, he pushed it open before quickly stepping back, arm covering his face. After a while, and nothing seemingly happening, Lincoln carefully crept forward, carefully examining every inch of the door frame. Seeing nothing, he let some of the tension seep out of his frame, but not fully relaxing.

"One does not simply walk into Luan's room."

With those words of wisdom, Lincoln walked in, making sure to make the lightest steps that he could, and crept his way to the place where Luan kept her computer and her surveillance system. Examining the chair, and lightly pressing on any suspicious bulges (which usually meant bumps that were at least an inch), he nodded to himself before pushing the chair out of the way as he turned the computer on.

"Of course." Lincoln muttered as the screen turned on, the black of the screen giving way to a password box. He rubbed his chin as he thought about what Luan would choose for a password. Thankfully, he saw the hint button.

"Hopefully Luan left a good clue for me." Lincoln muttered as he clicked on the button.

'What an Idiot would have'

'Wow.' Lincoln thought to himself as he felt his lips thin. 'She thought far enough. But I can't give up right now. Otherwise, Luan gonna come home, discover I'm Balor, and tell Mom and Dad! I can't let that happen. Lucy and the Club people are depending on me, and I can't, no, WON'T LET THAT HAPPEN. But what can I do? There's probably a million things that Luan could have put in as her password, and I don't have the time to go through all of them, and I doubt this computer is going to appreciate me typing in so many wrong answers. I can already hear Luan screaming about someone messing around with her computer, and I'm sure Cliff will rat on me in a heartbeat. Still…'

Lincoln glared at the hint again, before looking at it more carefully, his mounting frustration being soothed as he thought about the hint more carefully.

'Wait a minute, what if this hint isn't just name-calling, but an actual hint. Idiot...Idiot...Could it be?'

Lincoln quietly typed up five numbers.

'1-2-3-4-5. And enter.'

Immediately, the computer showed Luan's desktop.

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard." Lincoln recited with a grin. "That's the same combination an idiot would have on their luggage. Okay, let's see here."

He clicked on the system for Luan's surveillance system and looked through the footage. 'Let's see here...Bathroom...Hallway...Our Room...Lincoln's room, here we go!'

Browsing through the footage, he quickly located all the incriminating evidence, all the shots of him clearly changing into Balor and climbing out his window on a rope made of old clothes. No doubt that his parents and sisters would probably have conniptions if they saw this. Lincoln smirked, major emphasis on the if. A swift few clicks and the evidence was erased.

Looking at the rest of the cameras, he frowned. 'Better delete parts of the footage that match up with the time, that way at least there's a chance that Luan will think that her cameras suffered a glitch at the same time. Better get to work.'

Lincoln spent the next half hour deleting specific parts from each camera until he was satisfied with the results. Taking a deep breath, he leaned back in Luan's chair. "Alright, that's everything. Now let's get out of here and make it look like no one was in here…"

"Meow."

Lincoln froze for a moment, before putting a hand over his heart as he turned around to spot Cliff the Cat and the rest of the pets sitting in the doorway of Luan and Luna's room.

"Geez, you guys. Don't surprise me like that." Lincoln chuckled.

"Meow."

Lincoln's chuckling immediately stopped as he looked closer at the pets, before realizing that they were suspicious of him.

"What I'm doing here? Oh, I was looking something up on Luan's computer. No big deal."

When Walt took flight and flew closer to the screen, Lincoln instinctively waved him away. Walt flew back and regrouped.

"Cheep cheep." "Woof." Walt and Charles talked to each other, at least that's what Lincoln assumed, before Charles looked back at him.

"Woof."

"I was looking at nothing. I'm just about to get off it." Lincoln turned the computer off, but not before exiting out of the surveillance system.

"Alright, now did anyone feed you? Because I'm pretty sure that everyone else sped off and might have forgotten you guys." Lincoln then put a hand on his chin. "Then again, it feels like we forget you guys a lot of times."

"Meow."

"What do you mean am I hiding something? I'm not, heck, I'm getting out of here, okay?" Lincoln said as he walked over to the door, only for the pets to not move. "Come on, guys, can you scoot over so I can get out?"

"Woof."

"Woah! Woah! No need to get everyone involved in this, come on!" Lincoln exclaimed as he realized that the pets were about ready to rat on him. "Listen, I'm sure that we can come to an agreement!"

"Meow?"

"Look, just follow me to the kitchen, okay?" Lincoln carefully extended his foot, giving a mental sigh of relief when the pets cautiously let him through. He quickly made his way to the stairs and gestured to the pets to follow him. As the group of pets went into the kitchen, they saw Lincoln looking through the cabinets.

"Huh, now where are those glasses? I'm thirsty…" The pets looked at each other confused. The drinking glasses were nowhere where Lincoln was looking. Suddenly…

"OOPS!" Bags fell to the ground, releasing their bounty onto the ground. The pets recognized their treats, before looking up at Lincoln, who crouched down, looking like he was struggling to look guilty.

"Whoops, I accidently spilled your treats on the ground, and you guys made off with some of it before I could clean it up! I'll be sure to not do this again…" Lincoln recited, like he was reading off a script, before pointedly winking at the pets.

The pets looked at each other, wondering what they should do. On one hand, there were treats, and Lincoln was clearly willing to let them have more. On the other hand, Lincoln has been acting weird, not only with what he was doing with Luan's computer, but Charles had even confirmed that last night, he couldn't smell Lincoln in his room. But back on the first hand, there were treats, right there, in front of them.

Cliff walked forward and started to eat his treats, soon followed by Geo. Walt and Charles looked at each other, before Walt followed suit, leaving Charles behind. For a moment, Lincoln thought that Charles looked exasperated at the antics of his fellow pets. Lincoln then picked up Charles' share, walking over and putting the treats down in front of the dog.

Charles looked at the treats and then looked at Lincoln. Lincoln calmly stared back, and Charles gave one last look before starting to dig in. Yet Lincoln already knew what Charles was saying.

'I'm watching you.'

'Duly noted.' Lincoln thought to himself as he cleaned up the mess and put everything away. Still, he had an indeterminate amount of time before everyone else came back, so what could he do until then?

Frankly, he needed some stress relief…

* * *

The ride back home was quiet, uncomfortably so as everyone struggled not to look at Lola. Lynn made the mistake of doing so, and she quickly regretted it. The look on Lola's face was enough to make even the brash and confident Lynn quietly make a small prayer to whoever was listening.

After all, the look of rage and sadness was heartrending, especially right next to the object of Lola's ire and pain.

2nd place. Lola only managed to get **2nd place**. To Lynn, that was basically her definition of failure, because when you're last place, at least you could console yourself by saying that you'll do better next time, or some other cheesy motivation line that you wanted to say to yourself. But 2nd place was much worse. 2nd place was when you were just close enough to win, and yet for one reason or another, you just couldn't bridge that gap. You just couldn't make it over that last hurdle before the other guy, and there was no worst feeling in the world.

As Vanzilla pulled into the driveway, everyone in Lola's row quickly moved out of the way so she could get out of the van first. Getting out, she stomped her way up to the door and petulantly stood there until their dad unlocked the door. Now unimpeded, she quickly ran up to her room and slammed the door.

As everyone filed into the house, Lynn heard something out in the backyard. Looking out, she saw Lincoln in the backyard, having gotten her standing punching bag and going, for lack of a better term, 'ham' on it. He rapidly switched between the forms and punches that the two of them practiced, and wild swings that looked like he was just flailing at the bag that moved if only just so he wouldn't get hurt. Eventually, he was switching so fast she was only able to catch him smash an uppercut into the middle of the bag, knocking it over.

Lincoln didn't even bother standing the bag up as he followed after, sitting on top of the bag and raining punches down it, as if trying to turning the bag into ground meat. Eventually the flurry of fury that Lincoln had inside of him slowly dried up as his punches got slower and slower. Finally, breathing hard, he smashed the bag one more time before collapsing to the side, lying face up as his chest rose and fell rapidly.

At that moment, Lynn walked over and leaned over him. Whether due to a lack of energy or that he finally cooled down, the glare that Lincoln gave her was subdued. Quietly, Lynn handed him a bottle of water. Grabbing it, Lincoln tore it open and dumped it all over his face, only some of the liquid ending up in his mouth. Once he swallowed, Lincoln wiped the excess water away with the back of his left hand.

"Geez, Linc. If you wanted to wash your face, I would have gotten the hose for you." Lynn joked. Lincoln didn't laugh as he sat up.

Lynn looked back at her bag, and suddenly realized that there was something shiny on the black exterior. Coming close, she swiped it off with her finger, the substance dark red against her skin. Looking back at Lincoln, she realized that he wasn't wearing any gloves, or even any boxing wraps. She grabbed Lincoln's hands and examined the knuckles. Immediately, she saw that Lincoln had split one of his right knuckles.

"Lincoln, what the heck?! You split your knuckle!" Lynn exclaimed.

Lincoln's response was to look down, and actually look surprised. "Huh, didn't notice that."

"D-Didn't...Hold on." Lynn rushed back into the house, before coming back out with the first aid kit, with their mother right behind her. Seeing Lincoln's knuckle, she gasped, covering her mouth before coming over and checking over Lincoln.

"LINCOLN! What did you do to yourself?" Rita Loud asked, kneeling near as Lynn dabbed a cotton swab in rubbing alcohol.

"Mom, it's not that - GAH!" Lincoln's attempt at pacifying his mother was interrupted as soon as the alcohol burned his wound. Turning away from his mother, he glared at Lynn, who didn't even notice as she made sure to dab the swab a bit more, making Lincoln hiss more.

"That certainly sounds like something bad, unless that's not what you were going to say." Rita chided her son. Lincoln had no answer, choosing to look away and focus on something else other than the burning.

"Still, does this mean that whatever problems you have with your sister Lynn here are now over?"

Lincoln quickly looked over to Lynn, who looked up to him through the bangs of her hair. After a while, Lincoln sighed as Lynn finished bandaging his hand. Looking at the bandage, before looking back at her, Lynn could count it as a partial victory when Lincoln didn't look that coldly at her. Rita herself looked through Lynn's handiwork, and nodded in approval.

Lincoln was contemplative for a moment. "...Yeah, I guess I just needed to beat on something for a while. I feel...better."

"Good to see that the two of you are willing to get along with each other." Rita said as she stood back up, dusting off stray grass from her pants. "Now, I suggest you go talk to Lola, Lincoln. She's very upset about today and how you refused to show up."

At that, Lincoln almost shrugged. "What, she didn't do the swimsuit portion perfectly?"

"SHE WON SECOND PLACE, LINCOLN!" Lynn shouted, getting a little peeved as well as worried that Lincoln didn't seem to be taking Lola's problems seriously. Thankfully, as soon as he heard that, his feigned disinterest melted away to make room for shock and a little bit of shame.

"Wha - are you saying she was that bothered?" Lincoln asked.

"Yes, and you know the rules, Lincoln. We all go together to support each other, so please remember that next time, understand?"

"Yeah." Lincoln replied, not sounding the way that he did almost 20 seconds ago.

"Good." With that, Rita Loud went back into the house, leaving the two alone. Lincoln looked down while Lynn looked back at the house, specifically at the part where Lola and Lana's room was.

"You really should go talk to her." Lynn said. Lincoln didn't say anything in return. Still, Lynn felt the need to continue on.

"I mean, you and I know Lola. She likes to bluster and say that things like that don't mean much to her. But I'm pretty sure you know that she can take things pretty personally. So I'm saying, you should at least talk to her, you know."

Lincoln still didn't respond. He did look at her, but with this unfathomable look though. After a while, Lincoln got up and walked back into the house. Lynn sighed in relief, before following after him.

As she came inside, Lana came over to her. "Hey, is Linc alright?! His hand was all bandaged up!"

"Yeah, he's fine. He split his knuckle punching my bag a bit."

Lana look confused. "How do you do that? Was he punching a giant cheese grater or something?"

"Nah," Lynn responded. "I'm guessing he was just punching the bag a long time."

"Wow, what did you do to him?"

"...Huh?" Lynn asked as she looked at Lana, looking confused and somewhat furious. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean, when Lincoln came back in, he looked pretty mad. Then it seems like you guys seemed to be on bad terms for most of yesterday, Lori was actually thinking of using the Sister Fight Protocol on you guys."

Lynn blinked, taking a second to absorb that knowledge. "She actually thought it was that bad?"

Lana nodded. "Yeah, she did."

"Geez, it wasn't…" Lynn trailed off as she heard something weird. It almost sounded like...people were raising their voices. "Do you hear that?"

"Wha...I think it's coming from upstairs." Lana said as the two looked upstairs. Ascending the stairs, the noises became clearer, and Lynn got worried.

"Seriously, it's just one competition. Go move on and get better next time!"

"IT'S NOT JUST ONE COMPETITION! YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN THERE!"

Lincoln was arguing with Lola. Lincoln was **arguing** with Lola. Something wasn't right with this picture.

As Lynn and Lana looked to their room, they saw the rest of their siblings, clearly worried at the events taking place.

"AND I'M TELLING YOU, I WAS IN A BAD MOOD! I WOULD HAVE RUINED SOMETHING FOR YOU IF I WAS THERE!"

"IF THAT WAS TRUE, THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE MADE YOURSELF FEEL BETTER! THEN YOU WOULD HAVE BEEN THERE AND I WOULD HAVE WON!"

"AS IF IT COULD BE THAT EASY OR SIMPLE! AND EVEN SO, LIKE YOUR PAGEANT EVEN MEANS THAT MUCH!"

'No, Linc.' Lynn thought to herself, already seeing the path the conversation was going to take. 'Don't go there.'

"OF COURSE IT MATTERS, LINCOLN! I EXPECT YOU OF ALL PEOPLE TO UNDERSTAND THAT!"

"OH I UNDERSTAND PERFECTLY, LOLA! IT PROBABLY MEANS THE WORLD TO YOU, AND YOU'LL WHINE AND MOAN AND CRY OVER IT FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS, AND THEN YOU'LL BE OVER IT AND THINKING ABOUT THE NEXT PAGEANT! STOP ACTING LIKE IT'S THE END OF THE WORLD THAT YOU WON SECOND PLACE! IT'S NOT LIKE PEOPLE ARE GOING TO REMEMBER IT FOREVER!"

"...what?"

"Oh, you think just because you can perfectly recite every detail about your pageants, that everyone does too? Well, here's the thing: THEY DON'T! IN FACT, THEY PROBABLY WILL FORGET DETAILS IN THE MONTHS TO COME, THEN IT ALL TOGETHER IN THE NEXT YEAR! SO STOP WHINING ABOUT IT ALREADY, SINCE YOU'LL PROBABLY EVENTUALLY FORGET ABOUT IT!"

The silence was palpable, everyone staring at the door, and hoping that everything was going to turn out okay.

"...get out."

"...Lola?"

"GET OUT!"

Suddenly, yells of pain and hard objects hitting both flesh and wall could be heard. The door opened as Lincoln ran out, shutting the door behind him. Looking around and seeing the rest of his sisters staring at him, he moved out of the way, before looking at Lana. Lana stared back at him.

"You… You better go check on Lola, Lana."

Almost to emphasize Lincoln's point, everyone looked at the door as they soon heard muffled crying coming from the door. Almost immediately, Lana went through the door, the crying becoming clearer for a moment, before the door closed again. Almost immediately, the attention shifted back to Lincoln.

"Lincoln…" Luna asked. "What just happened, man?"

Lincoln didn't respond, instead looking back up at Lori. "Lori…Can you please activate the Protocol?"

Lori blinked. "What?"

"The Sister Fight Protocol. I think me and Lola need some time apart, right now."

With that, Lincoln walked back to his room, and shut the door, just before Lynn realized that maybe she should have tried to stop Lincoln. Looking at her raised hand, she lowered it before looking back at her sisters. "Now what?"

Lori looked between the room where Lana was comforting Lola in and the room where Lincoln was in.

"I guess… we activate the Sister Fight Protocol. I think Lincoln and Lola are gonna need some time apart."

"Lori," Luan spoke up. "You know it doesn't seem right to call it the 'Sister Fight Protocol', when one of the people involved in the fight is a brother."

"I know... " Lori said. "I guess we never thought about it."

"Yeah, Linky usually tries to get along with everyone." Leni added.

At that, Leni exposed the real reason why the whole thing seemed surreal.

To them, Lincoln seemed like the person to never get into fights.

* * *

After the sun went down fully, and he could hear the sounds of people sleeping, Lincoln put on the mask. As he did so, he had an idle thought. If he had to be honest, he actually didn't like the mask that covered his face. It was slightly itchy and if he breathed for a long time, the area around his mouth would get moisture on the outside. But just recently, it was starting to get comfortable. That was good.

Making sure that no one was looking in the direction of the house, he tossed his rope of clothes over, checked the tightness of his anchor before quickly climbing down. After securing the rope, he went into the garage and took off all the parts that would make his bike recognizable. Finally, he got one of Lynn's old sport bags, put Lynn's baseball bat inside, and slung the bag over his shoulder. Getting onto his bike, he started to ride off, looking around for some scum to beat up.

But it wasn't long before Balor spotted a payphone nearby. Remembering what he had planned for Monday, he figured that there was no greater time to do. Checking his pockets for change, he deposited the money into the coin slot, typed in a number then cautiously looked around as the dial tones rang. Then, someone answered the phone.

"Hello, Royal Woods News Department here. How may we help you?"

"Hello," Balor responded. "My name is Balor."

"Oh ha ha, very funny, sir. We have been getting a lot of callers claiming that they were Balor. I'll give you credit, your accent is the most convincing one I've heard."

"Well, fake or not, I do have something that I'm sure your network will find very juicy."

"How so?"

"Are you aware that there was a protest that happened Friday at Royal Woods Elementary, and that the Principal had ordered it to covered up to the public?"

"...Those are some allegations, do you have any proof?"

Balor smirked underneath his mask. "I'll do you one better, we'll be there on Monday as well. Later and thank you for your time."

With that, Balor hung up the phone.

'Let's see how much you sweat on Monday, Principal Huggins.'

* * *

Author's Note:

Darn, couldn't get this in before the start of the new year. Oh well, at least this will be the the first chapter of the new year. Well, let's hope this year will suck less than last year.

Also, possible songs that fit this story: "Enemy" by Sevendust (Not PG friendly) and "Yazuka 0 English Opening" (Slightly more PG). Either way, maybe I just want people to listen to them.


	10. Public Reception

Mr. RiceDumb, you might get your wish, eventually. Guest, uhh… I'm not sure how to respond to that.

Beta-Reader: InquisitorJeeves

* * *

*Knock Knock*

Lincoln blearily opened his eyes, rubbing them as he forced himself from his slumber. Looking down at himself, he remembered that he had gone patrolling last night, and stayed out until about 3 AM. The moment that he spotted his bed, everything turned black. As such, he was sleeping on top of his blankets, still in his Balor outfit.

*Knock Knock*

"Dude!" His sister Luna called out, making Lincoln freeze for a moment. "Are you awake?"

"Uhh, give me a moment!" Lincoln called out as he hurriedly changed back into his pajamas, and threw his outfit into his backpack. Hurriedly messing up his bed to look like he had slept in it, he grabbed his toiletries and knocked on the door.

"Coming out!" Just as he started to open the door, he happened to look at the window, and realized that his window was still open and still had his clothing rope tied to his anchor. He shut it, only for a shout of pain to erupt on the other side of the door, making Lincoln freeze.

"YO, DUDE!" Luna groaned. "What the heck?! YOU JUST HIT ME IN THE FACE WITH YOUR DOOR!"

"SORRY!" Lincoln shouted, grimacing a bit as he immediately pulled up the rope and rolled it up.

"Just realized that I wasn't decent. Spent too long reading comic books!" Lincoln shouted as he dumped his rope in the box, before grabbing his toiletries off the ground and opening the door again. In front of him, Luna held her face, before letting her hands slide off.

"Lincoln, does it look bad, bro?" Luna asked.

Lincoln sighed in relief after taking stock of Luna's condition. "You're fine, your face just looks red, that's all."

"Great." Luna then pulled out a walky-talky and spoke into it. "Dark Gloomy, White Link is ready for transport. Prepare Pink Princess for evacuation."

Tapping his finger as he waited for the shuffling to stop, Lincoln was glad that at least he would be able to move around freely for the next eight hours. Finally hearing a door shut, and Luna talk into her walkie-talkie, he readjusted his toiletries in time for Luna to open his door and nod to him. Both walking at a brisk pace, the two passed the rest of the sisters, each looking around to make sure that Lola didn't even notice Lincoln's presence. Coming in front of the bathroom, Luna pushed the door open for him. As Lincoln went inside, Luna closed the door.

Disrobing, he stepped inside the shower and set his toiletries to the side. Turning the knob for warm water, he waited for a moment as the water rushed through the system. The moment the spray hit his flesh, he gave a shout of surprise as the water was practically stone cold. Furiously turning the knob, he gritted his teeth as the stone cold water only turned to a more manageable lukewarm water.

"BRO! You okay?!" Luna asked from outside the door. Lincoln forced his chattering teeth to stop as he dove back under the lukewarm water.

"YEAH, I'M FINE!" Lincoln responded as he got his shampoo and started to lather his hair. Even through the shower and the thin walls, he could hear a sound of vicious glee from Lola. Lincoln did his best to ignore and began to do his business mechanically, letting his mind drift off into other trains of thought.

Like how Lori might have read him the riot act about what he said to Lola and how he didn't have any right to criticize her passions last night. While a part of him still stung at that, he couldn't help but agree. After all, how was reading comic books and going to the arcade any more helpful or useful to the world? Still, he was over it.

Come to think of it, until Lori brought it up, Lincoln hadn't cracked open one of his comic books in quite a while, or even thought about them. Then again, why would he even care about comic books, when he was basically living one? So, the small part of himself that was hurt by Lori's comments soon slid off him like water off a duck's feathers.

Speaking of which, checking on his condition, he found that he had already cleaned himself, and was just soaking at the moment. Turning the water off, he grabbed his towel and vigorously dried himself. Wrapping his towel around himself and gathering his toiletries, he knocked at the door again.

"I'm done!"

"Right." After a few more moments filled with reports and communication filled with Protocol jargon, Luna opened the door. After being escorted back to his room, he was about to close it when Luna stopped him.

"Lola is still having breakfast downstairs, so you're gonna have to wait."

Lincoln weighed the pros and cons of having breakfast before deciding. "Alright, tell everyone downstairs that I don't need breakfast that badly. Also, can you tell Lori that she doesn't need to worry about transporting the two of us, since I'll just go ahead and walk to school."

Luna looked worried. "Are you sure about that, bro? It is a pretty far walk from here…"

Lincoln nodded. "Positive. Besides, I got something at school today."

"You mean the protest?" Luna asked.

"Yeah, in fact, I'm wondering why you guys haven't tried to tell on me or Lucy to Mom and Dad? I mean, I know Lisa tried to, but you guys know everything, so why?"

Luna suddenly looked around, searching for any eavesdroppers, before leaning in to whisper into Lincoln's ear.

"Truth be told, bro, I'm actually down for what you're doing. I mean, the principal just shut down all the clubs just like that, no talking to them or nothing, just a jaunty hello and asking for them to clean out their desks? Just ain't right, bro."

Lincoln nodded. "Yeah."

"Then you guys go and fight the power, bro. Just make sure you don't get too far, you get me?"

He held up an 'A-Okay' gesture. Just as Luna was about to leave, she looked back at Lincoln.

"Also got to ask, is it true that Balor is leading your whole shindig?"

At that moment, Lincoln had to restrain the urge to grin.

"Yeah, he is. Frankly, I'm just as surprised."

"So how is he? What's he like?"

Lincoln adopted a thinking pose. "He's pretty cool."

"Alright." Luna started to go. "Later, bro. Stay safe out there."

"Sure, Luna." Lincoln responded as he closed the door. Getting out his 'Lincoln' outfit, he soon spotted the split knuckle that he had.

'Shoot, the moment the others see this mark, they'll realize who Balor is.'

Spotting his old clothes box, he quickly opened it and began to rummage inside. Coming across an old plain black shirt, he smiled as he tore it into strips. Quickly logging into his computer, he typed up 'how to make a boxing wrap.'

Looking at an online tutorial, he got the strips and quickly fashioned it around his right hand. Testing it out, he nodded to himself, before looking at his left hand. Taking two strips of cloth, he memorized the instructions carefully, before tossing both of them into his backpack with the rest of Balor's outfit.

Just as he was about to head off, he looked at his outfit, before giving his t-shirt an experimental sniff. It was still good, he thought to himself, but he would probably need to look into going to a coin laundry or somewhere like that to wash his outfit. Now there's something that the comic books didn't mention.

* * *

As he approached the campus of Royal Woods, he went off into an isolated spot and changed into Balor. As Balor was finishing up wrapping up his hands, Clyde and Ronnie spotted him and ran up to him.

"Dude, there's news people, and everyone's freaking out!" Clyde shouted. As Ronnie was about to add her own two cents, she noticed that Balor wasn't even stopping, just continuing to wrap his hands in what looked to be ripped up strips of t-shirt.

"So...Lincoln?" Balor turned to regard her, his glasses obscuring his eyes to her.

"Ronnie, please do remember that when I'm in this outfit, I am Balor. You never know who might be listening around here, or even who might accidentally stumble across this spot. And if you're about to ask about the news, don't worry. I called them here."

"Y-You did?" Clyde asked, about ready to pull his hair. "Oh man, my parents are going to kill me the moment they see me in the crowd tonight."

"Then go hide in the back, it's not like they have to videotape all the different people there." Ronnie promptly replied. She turned back to Balor, who had finished wrapping his hands and stood up and started walking towards the meeting point, with Clyde and Ronnie following after.

"So what's the plan now? A lot of parents are probably not going to be pleased when they hear that we've technically been skipping our classes." Ronnie commented.

Balor nodded. "True, I'm pretty sure that maybe even a few of them are gonna pull some of our guys aside and make sure that they go to class. But I think it'll be worth it if I can pull this off."

"Okay, I'm confused, L-" Balor gave him a look. "Balor. You just said it yourself. Everyone's parents are going to freak when they see this on the news, how is this a positive for us?"

"Frankly, this wasn't the original plan." Balor admitted. "I was planning just to walk up to Huggins' door, knock it down, and ask him to reinstate the clubs or we'll keep on protesting."

"Don't know if the poindexters would have liked that." Ronnie commented.

"That was why I needed you guys to make as much of a racket as we needed and to bring bag lunches, to present the idea that you guys are ready to protest all month, just to light a fire underneath Huggins' butt and make him sweat. Still, since he refused to hear us out, and even tried to keep us as his dirty little secret, well…"

At this point, the trio had came to the meeting point in front of the school. Besides the students that were entering the school, and the protestors standing to the side, there was a reporter and a cameraman standing by their news van, looking around, as if looking for a specific person. The protestors themselves looked unsure of what to make of the news people's presence, and too looked around for someone to step forward and address them.

Taking that as his cue, Balor turned to Clyde and Ronnie with an unseen grin on his face. "Let's see how well he can take having his job on the cutting board."

With that, he walked forward, coming into view of the protesters and the news crew. Lucy came out of the group and spoke. "Balor, there's people that said that you invited them?"

Balor didn't break eye contact from the news crew as he ruffled Lucy's hair a bit. "Yeah, don't worry. I'll handle them."

Finally stopping in front of them, he slightly craned his head up to look at the reporter and cameraman. After a moment of staring at him, the news woman spoke.

"Are you...Balor?"

He nodded. "Yeah. I'm guessing you were expecting someone taller."

"Basically, yeah." The newswoman glared at the cameraman, before looking back at Balor. "Do you mind if I call back to my people before we start this interview?"

"No problem at all."

"Thank you." The newswoman got out her cell phone and dialed a number, just as the morning bell rang. Just as the doors shut, Principal Huggins came out to close the doors. Looking up, his jaw dropped seeing the news people near the protesters and Balor. Balor noticed Huggins and gave a jaunty little wave. Huggins didn't respond to it, simply closing the doors and not heeding the gesture or the protesters' renewed chants. After a while, the newswoman came back.

"Alright, Balor. Where should we conduct this interview?"

"How about that bench over there? You'll still get a good view of the protest over there."

The three moved over to that location, Lincoln waiting as the newswoman turned towards the news camera, her background the protesters as they held up their signs.

"Are we on?" The newswoman asked. The cameraman held up his thumb. Tapping her earpiece, she nodded to herself as the news station picked up her transmission.

"Thank you, Tucker. I am here at Royal Woods Elementary, and what you see behind me is certainly real. There are at least a hundred students behind me, holding a protest. We are standing here with the organizer of this protest, Balor. And excuse me for asking, but are you the same Balor that contributed to the arrest of Mr. Florence 'Flip' DiMaggio?"

Balor nodded. "Yeah, I am."

"May I then ask about how you knew that there was incriminating evidence on Flip's surveillance system?"

"Umm, while I would gladly talk more about that, I'm pretty sure that the viewers would like to know about the protest that's being held by students, and how Principal Huggins clearly covered up when we did this last Friday."

"WHAT?! This happened on Friday?" The news woman exclaimed, unable to hide her shock. The cameraman's jaw dropped as well.

"Yeah, this happened on Friday too. Feel free to ask the other protesters, and the faculty here. I'm sure they could tell you all about it."

"No kidding…" The newswoman whispered, feeling the undeniable curiosity starting to emerge. She had to admit, she wasn't expecting much when the person in charge of the phone on Saturday told them about how Balor had called her on the phone late and told them about something happening at the elementary school on Monday morning.

The only other reason that she volunteered to check it out was because she had nothing else to report on that time. But now imagine that, a juicy story had been practically gift wrapped and dropped right into her lap. A protest was happening in an elementary school and the Principal had been hiding it.

Well, she wasn't going to let this opportunity pass her by, or else May O'Sullivan will have to change her name.

"Okay, that aside, this protest you're holding. What exactly is it about?" May asked Balor, holding up the mic close to Balor's mouth.

"We're holding this protest because Principal Huggins has ordered all the clubs at Royal Woods Elementary to cease their activities immediately. Even if we are students, this is still our school, and we should still have a voice to speak our grievances."

"I see. But don't you think that holding a protest is a bit of a overreaction?"

Balor shook his head. "Maybe, if Huggins gave each of the clubs a formal notice and a chance to talk about possible compromises to keep the clubs. Instead, he just walked in, said that they have to stop activities this instant, and walked out. As far as I'm concerned, as long as we're not smashing up people's cars and setting fires to bushes, this is pretty restrained."

"I'm sure that there would be some people who would call your actions still pretty unruly."

Balor simply gestured to the crowd of protesters. "I would say that those people over there would call my actions necessary. As far as I see it, not everyone's gonna have a positive look on what you do."

May didn't visibly react, unsure whether to label his words arrogant or wise. Deciding that she could come up with a better judgement when she was looking over the footage, she continued with her questioning, because there was something about Balor's motives that was bothering her.

"If we can move on, I would like to go back to one of your answers at the beginning of this interview. If I heard correctly, you said that you were doing this because Principal Huggins had been summarily stopped Club Activities without consent. While that is very suspicious and strange, I feel as if that isn't a proper reason to hold a protest just to protect your Chess Club and Athletic Club."

Balor simply nodded. "Yeah, we have those clubs. And if I had to be frank, if it was just those clubs, pretty sure that there wouldn't be a thing I could do about that."

The masked boy, since Balor didn't look like he had the musculature of a midget, simply leaned forward. May O'Sullivan resisted the urge to lean back.

"But that's just it. It wasn't just those clubs, the ones I bet you think are useless. It was all the clubs, from the Morticians Club, to the Zoology Club, and others like them, that got the can. Which is kinda weird when you think about it, considering the whole reason why Principal Huggins canned all the clubs, was because he wanted to look like he made some kind of response to that grade emergency the Superintendent announced back on last Tuesday."

"That's quite the claim to make, Balor, considering you're probably not a member of the administration."

Balor shrugged. "Well, if you can come up with another reason why Principal Huggins would do something like this, I'm all ears. Pretty sure I would have known about any problems the clubs had with authority before all of this, or if they've been encouraging students to skip school and do drugs. Otherwise, common sense says that Principal Huggins wanted a quick and easy way to raise up grade point averages."

"You...certainly raise a decent point." May conceded.

"Honestly, it's a pretty dumb move on Huggins' part. I mean, when you take away all the people that joined us here, all the club members only count up to around 50. How many students do you think that Royal Woods Elementary has?"

"Umm... Maybe around 500 to 600?"

"Yeah, that's a decent guess. Point is, the clubs only make up about ten percent of that, and I doubt that you can blame all the poor grades on just ten percent…"

"No, I suppose that would be highly unrealistic."

"And let's not forget that such clubs like the Morticians Club and the Math Club got canned too. Sounds like pretty educational clubs that could only help the members maintain their grades in those subjects. And if you don't believe me, there's a member of one of those clubs standing right by you."

"Huh? What are you - JESUS!" May O'Sullivan screamed as the cameraman turned around dropped the camera upon seeing Lucy just standing next to him. Quickly catching the camera, and quickly checking over it, he had to maintain his grip when May rushed over and tried ripping the camera out of his hands. When he refused to let go, she quickly looked over the camera herself.

"IS IT FINE? NOTHING'S BROKEN, RIGHT?!" A quick flurry of sound erupted from May's earpiece, and she held a finger on it as she listened to the person talking.

"We're still on? Oh...They're gonna fix that in post, right?"

As May and the Cameraman were distracted, Balor walked over to Lucy. "Lucy, what are you doing here? Not that I don't appreciate you spooking the news people, that's a good gas."

"I wanted to make sure that you were okay." Lucy replied evenly, the smallest tone of worry in her voice. Balor smiled, not that Lucy could see it, and ruffled Lucy's hair.

"Oh, don't worry about me. Don't think I'm a stook, I know what I'm getting into. By the way, can you go and get one of your club members?"

"Huh?"

"Well," Balor rubbed the back of his head. "I need someone to show the news people what you guys do in the clubs, and I figure that someone from the Math Club or Morticians Club can give the best examples, at least what I want to show."

"...Just someone from those clubs?"

Balor nodded. "Yeah, someone from those clubs. No offense to the Athletic Club or the Chess Club anyways…"

"...I-I could do it."

Balor looked at Lucy, his surprise visible through his body language. "What do you mean by that?"

Lucy stood up straighter. "I can do it. You said it yourself. You need someone to show off how the clubs help their members with their grades. Pretty sure people would be impressed by a second grader knowing all 206 bones of the adult human skeleton."

"No offense, Lucy, but I doubt the network will give you the time to do that. How about just the arm?"

Lucy nodded. "I can do that."

"Great, and another thing, Lucy. If you get nervous, just focus on me. Okay? Focus on me."

Before Lucy could protest Balor's seeming mistrust in her, the newspeople came back, and Balor turned to them. "Are we still rolling?"

"Yes, yes, we are." May said, a bit too quickly as she looked over Lucy. "Who is she?"

"Let me introduce you to Lucy. She is a second grader and member of the Morticians Club."

"...That's a little morbid for someone as young as you to be in, isn't it?"

"..."

"...Well, Lucy here is going to walk us through all the bones of the human body with me as her test subject, is that right, Lucy?"

"Y-yeah."

"Okay, go ahead." May said, looking a little skeptical.

"Y-yeah, okay... umm…" Lucy muttered, taking a hold of Balor's arm and point to a spot between his neck and his shoulder. "...Here...We have the...Clavicle, and attached to that, we have the...umm…"

"Yes?" May asked, starting to feel a little impatient and it starting to show on her face.

Lucy fell silent, feeling very self-conscious of the attention that was now on her. As much as she wanted to, her tongue was becoming tied-up and all the information that was in her head was becoming more obscured by the second. And all the while, she was fully aware that she was messing up when Balor needed her.

Tap.

Looking up past her bangs, she saw Balor impatiently tapping his finger. For a moment, she felt even more disappointed in herself, knowing that Balor was getting frustrated with her behavior. Yet, looking more closely at the finger that Balor was tapping, she realized something strange. Sometimes he tapped with the tip of his finger, and other times he tapped with the pad of it. Looking at it, she soon realized it wasn't coming out in random, but more of a pattern…

Wait… Tap Tap Tap Tap… tap Tap tap tap …

. . - .

Balor was trying to get through to her with Morse Code, with him tapping his fingertip for dots and tapping his pad of his finger for dashes. Quickly paying attention to the message, she became confident that she got the full message.

.-.. - - -.- / .- - / - .

L.o.o.k. A.t. M.e.

Look at me.

Looking up from Balor's finger, she saw her own reflection staring back at her in Balor's sunglasses. Yet, it didn't seem like Balor was disappointed in her, not that she could tell from his body language. She could feel his own eyes from behind his sunglasses, still maintaining eye contact, and giving her the message that he didn't need to communicate, since she could hear it loud and clear.

Come on, Lucy. You can do this.

Summoning up her courage, she began to speak more loudly, thankful that her hair hid where her eyes were.

"The Clavicle connects to the Scapula, or shoulder blade, by the Scapular Acromion. The Humerus connects to the Scapula and the Radius and the Ulna. The Humerus connects to both of these bones with the Humeral Trochlea, which makes up the elbow joint. Going down the Radius and the Ulna, they are connected to each other by the Supinator muscle, located near the elbow, and the Styloid Processes bones, which are at the wrist. Finally, the bones of the hand, going from wrist to fingertip, are as follows: the carpus, the metacarpus, and the phalanges."

"...Well, my sixth grader has trouble with those. Do you guys do tutoring?" The cameraman asked. May clearly looked like she wanted to hit the cameraman. Fortunately for the guy, the news reporter reigned in her emotions and gave the most genuine smile she could muster.

"Wow, that's amazing! Are you even really a second grader?"

Lucy shrugged. "Think what you want to think. I am a second grader."

"Well...You certainly have given us a lot to think about." With that, May O'Sullivan turned to the cameraman to formally talk to the anchor. Lucy turned to Balor, who reached out and ruffled Lucy's hair. Lucy quietly batted Balor's hands away, a bit of a blush on her cheeks.

"Good job, Lucy. You did great." Balor congratulated her.

"I hope so. My parents are going to kill me when they see me on TV."

"I'm pretty sure that's what we're all facing tonight."

Lucy looked back at Balor with fresh eyes, now seeing him as someone behind the mask, someone with family.

"So...I'm guessing your parents don't know about any of this?"

"Of course not!" Balor guffawed as he looked away. "They ground me if they knew. My siblings, on the other hand, would kill me!"

"Really, you have siblings?" Lucy asked. "What are they like?"

"Oh...umm…" Balor paused for a moment, clearly trying to find a way to describe his family without making too much of a description. "They're boisterous, I'll give you that. Remember plenty of craics with them, but man, I tell you, we have the biggest fights ever. Still… They're family."

"...I understand that feeling." Lucy responded.

* * *

Lincoln laid in his bed, hands behind his head as he listened to his father rant on the phone. Thankfully, while he and Lucy did get punished by having to stay in their rooms, their parents were clearly more angry about the fact that the Principal had managed to hide this fact from them. As such, their dad had been on the phone, yelling and ranting into the phone.

Unfortunately, he and about all the parents of the students that attended Royal Woods Elementary School apparently had the same idea. Their dad had spent the last twenty minutes preparing and practicing his long rant. However, by the new ranting that he was now hearing, it seems that Principal Huggins simply had enough of all the calls and had probably disconnected his phone.

Perfect. A fire had been lit under Huggins' butt, and he was feeling the burn. The only thing now left to do, Lincoln thought to himself, was to spell it out to Huggins to give it up. Thinking of Huggins' credit card information that was hidden in the same spot that the pill was, Lincoln grinned.

* * *

"Man, gotta love it when a plan's flying it."

Lincoln yawned as he started to fall asleep, ready to take a nap. After all, have to be alert for anything when one was on patrol.

Principal Huggins took a good look at himself in the mirror in his bathroom, having just splashed water into his face. Water dropped from his mustache, making sound as it broke apart on the sink. Grabbing the nearby towel, he wiped his face as he reflected on what had happened today.

In retrospect, he shouldn't have tried hiding the protest away from the parents. After all, how long would he have had to maintain the illusion? But on the other hand, he didn't intend for the clubs to stay defunct forever.

After all, he was desperately looking for something that would fulfill his orders to raise the grades by any means. If not…

The phone rang, and Principal Huggins groaned. Didn't he disconnect his home phone? How was it still ringing? Cursing his age, he walked over to the phone before realizing that he did, and that the ringing was coming from his personal phone. Grabbing that phone and looking over the Caller ID, he groaned as he took a seat, before answering the call.

"Hello, Sir." Principal Huggins said, greeting the Superintendent of the district and his boss.

"Principal Huggins." Superintendent Bruce White greeted. "I'm calling because I've watched a rather unusual news report, about an incident at your school…"

"Yes…" Principal Huggins replied, resisting the urge to yell at the Superintendent.

After all, it was like the Superintendent had no idea how grades work…

* * *

Author's Note:

My god, this chapter felt like the hell's teeth to get through. Seriously, it felt like a slog to get through this chapter. Hopefully, you guys still enjoyed it.

Also apologize in case the anatomy wasn't right. I basically did my research off one image on Wikipedia.

Another thing, HOORAY! I have finally reached 50K words, just one month after NaNoWriMo has ended, yeah... Still, that is farther than all the other multi-chapter stories that I have done in the past, and it is my sincere hope that this story becomes the first novel length story that I planned, wrote, and complete.

Well, here we go. One more chapter, before the good times stop rolling...and the bad times flood in.


	11. Finish Line In Sight

Beta Reader: InquisitorJeeves

* * *

*Ring Ring*

*Click* "*yawn* Hello, who is this? May I remind you that it is 2 in the morning?"

"Miss Doris? This is Huggins speaking."

"Wha- Principal Huggins, what are you doing calling this early? Can't whatever you need to say to me wait until I come to work?"

"Hmm, I suppose you're right. I guess I'll just hang up and tell you when you report for work...NOT! I'm afraid that this cannot wait."

"If that's the answer that you're going to give, then please just tell me already, Principal Huggins."

"Right, sorry. Miss Doris, please do tell the rest of the cafeteria staff that there will be no need for your services for today's lunch period."

"...I'm sorry, what?"

"I believe I spoke plainly, Miss Doris, but allow me to repeat myself. You and the cafeteria staff have the day off tomorrow. No need to come in and prepare food for the students today, for I already have that covered."

"...Sir, this is quite sudden."

"Yes, I agree it is quite sudden, but I have thought about it a lot, and figured that it would at least a gesture of peace between me and the protesters."

"I see… If that is what you requesting, then thank you, Principal Huggins. While I was not impressed by the way you chose to handle the protest, I am at least happy to know that you're willing to fix your mistakes."

"I'm... honestly afraid that it will probably be the last act that I will do as principal…"

"Wilbur...if you haven't heard this before, then let me say, that you were a fine principal, and while there are times that we question your judgement, the staff truly do believe that there would have been no one else as suited to the job as you."

"Miss Doris...I thank you for your kind words. However, I must make orders immediately. Enjoy your day off, Miss Doris, and give my regards to the other cafeteria staff."

"And Good Luck to you, Principal Huggins. Good night, or good morning, either way."

With that, Miss Doris hung up the phone.

Balor stared at the phone in his hand, before hanging it up. Looking back, he saw that the washing machine was done. Opening it, he grabbed his laundry and walked over to a nearby dryer. Dumping the laundry and some dryer sheets into the machine, he adjusted the settings to dark colors before turning the machine on. As the machine started to go through the drying cycle, Balor took a look around the 24 hour coin laundry.

The place was deserted, with no one really attending to the place. Really made a person wonder how they could afford to keep the lights on the whole time. Still, very convenient for him, along with the vending machines that dispense detergent and drying sheets for him. The only thing that suggested anyone was watching the place was a security camera, and they would probably be pretty surprised to see Balor in an old white t-shirt and sport shorts doing his laundry.

And of course he kept the mask, hat, and glasses on. He had washed them earlier.

Still, Balor thought to himself as he flopped into a nearby seat, this would probably be the most exciting thing he would be doing all night. Unfortunately, the comic books never told him that crime doesn't happen every night, or that it magically happens right in front of you. As such, he had been patrolling for the past five nights, and nothing had happened on his watch.

On an instinctual level, Balor knew that he should be happy that there was no crime to fight. After all, didn't heroes fight crime in the hopes that eventually, they would have no more crime to fight and that they could declare their work done? And there, Balor realized, was the problem.

Tomorrow, after everything was said and done, Principal Huggins was finally going to reinstate the clubs, and Balor's job at Royal Woods Elementary School would be done. And everyone would be happy to see him walk into the sunset, ready to correct whatever injustice he happened upon next. But where would that leave him?

Where would that leave Balor?

A sense of melancholy came over him, wondering what to do. After a while, he shook off the depressing feeling. After all, there was no need to rain on the parade. He'll think of what to do next after tomorrow.

Sitting up again, he went over to the phone, numbers already in mind. Picking up the receiver, he typed in the first number, then waited as the telephone rang.

"Hello. Mario Mario's Pizzeria, how may we help you?"

"Ah, yes, I would like to place an order for about...200 pizzas and 50 bottles of soda."

"What?!"

* * *

Lynn stifled a yawn as she stood outside of Lincoln's room, fully dressed and in her protocol gear. She had accidentally stayed up a bit late reading a really interesting sports article, and she was paying for it now. Idiot, she scolded herself for staying up late. Sleep was important for winners to get, or would you like to repeat that softball tournament game back in third grade where you practically gave every batter and their mother a hit?

No, never again.

Still, rock beats paper and the rule of who wins Rock-Paper-Scissors held firm. She had to stand by the ruling so here she was, standing outside Lincoln's door, waiting to escort him to the bathroom. So there she stood, waiting...and waiting...and waiting…

How long has it been since she got the task of escorting Lincoln? Because he should have been up already. And she really wanted to get on with the rest of the morning. Turning, she raised her fist and prepared to knock...and prepared...and prepared…

'Come on, Lynn!' She thought to herself. 'Just take your fist and hit the door a couple of times. What's so hard about that?'

The answer came quickly.

She knew for a fact that things between her and Lincoln had gotten...frosty. Sure, he could put up appearances in front of their parents and siblings, act like everything was hunky dory. But when it was just the two of them, his words were always short, and whenever he looked at her, his eyes always seemed to struggle between showing anger or pain.

All directed at her.

"LYNN!" Her mother's voice snapped her out of her melancholy. "It's starting to get late. Lincoln has to get up!"

"Lynn, get him up quick!" Lori called out as well. "Lola can't wait around forever!"

Right, still a school day, can't spend all day staring at the door. Quickly knocking on the door before she lost her courage, she listened closely for any signs of life from Lincoln. A few moments later, she heard something.

"...?"

"Lincoln, wake up!" Lynn called out. "You gotta go to school."

"...Eh? Oh...Uh...Alright...Just give...some time…"

"Yeesh, Linc?" Lynn grimaced as she heard Lincoln respond to her. "What happened to you? You sound like you were up all night or something."

"Oh...Um... I was...doing...I was reading comic books...Yeah…"

The door finally opened, Lincoln stepping out in his pajamas, yawning loudly as he rubbed his eyes. Looking at the toiletries that Lincoln was holding in his hands, Lynn couldn't help but to let a giggle escape her lips.

"Yo, Linc. I know you want to sleep, but believe me. Blankets don't make good towels."

The zombie-like Lincoln blinked at her, though one could barely tell because of how squinted his eyes were. He held up his hand and stared at the blanket that he was holding, before looking at his other hand and finding his backpack. Dropping both items to the ground, he grabbed his actual toiletries and a change of clothes, before moving towards the bathroom.

However, Lynn stopped him with one hand, taking out her walkie-talkie in the other. "Linc is a go, Linc is a go. Prepare Pink Princess for transport."

"Roger."

Letting Lincoln go, she frowned at how slow Lincoln was moving. Deciding to speed things up, she picked Lincoln up by the waist and carried him through the hallway.

"Come on, Lynn… I was doing fine." Lincoln mumbled, sounding cross but not making a move to get out of her grip.

"Yeah, if you call moving at a snail's pace fine. Just sit back and enjoy the ride. And next time, you put away the comic books and get some sleep, bro. We don't need zombies in this house."

"Whatever...Ma…"

Lynn couldn't help but smile a bit at Lincoln's response.

Stopping in front of the bathroom, she dropped Lincoln onto his feet and closed the door, just as Lola and Lisa came into the hallway. As the two went into Lola's bedroom, Lynn could hear the shower start. A moment later, she jumped as Lincoln screamed. Turning around, she frantically knocked on the door.

"LINC! YOU OKAY?!"

"Y-YEAH, J-J-Just didn't t-t-turn the knob far enough. Just let me...better, I'm better. Whew."

Hearing Lincoln's teeth calm down from clicking, made Lynn sigh in relief. Turning around, she saw the rest of the sisters, minus Lola, return to what they were doing before.

After a few minutes, the shower turned off. A few more minutes after that, a fully dressed Lincoln peeked through the door. "Is it clear?"

As Lynn raised the walkie-talkie to speak, she found herself disappointed by the tone that Lincoln was taking with her again. When he was half-awake, even if the talk they exchanged was short, it was warm and fun, just like old times. Now that he was back to fully being in the land of the awake, the frost was starting to overtake his tone towards her.

"Linc on the move. I repeat, Linc on the move."

"Roger, roger."

Receiving the go ahead, she turned to Lincoln. "Yep, you're free to move."

Wordlessly nodding, he gathered up his toiletries, folded up his towel, and stepped out, passing Lynn by. Lynn quickly hurried up to walk behind Lincoln.

"So...comic books, huh?"

"Yeah."

"You stayed up all night for comic books?"

"Big mistake."

"You saw anything you want to, you know, practice?"

"No."

"For the moves, or the-"

"Tell Lori I'll walk to school."

Snapping out of trying to get Lincoln to say more than three words to her, she realized that they were already at Lincoln's room, and he was already inside. As he started to close the door, he gave one last look at her through the crack. At that, Lynn's confusion gave way to anger.

Lincoln blinked when he realized that his door hadn't closed all the way, and he looked down to see Lynn's foot blocking the door.

"Okay, Lincoln, what the heck?!" Lynn asked as she barreled into Lincoln's room, looking cross. "Why are you like this? Are you still mad about Saturday? IS THAT IT?!"

"Lynn…"

"FINE, HERE! I'M SORRY, I'M SORRY I DID THAT STUFF ON SATURDAY AND CALLED YOU A BABY AND ALL OF THAT! THERE! I APOLOGIZED! IS THAT GOOD ENOUGH FOR YOU, LINC?"

Lynn was breathing hard, having just let nearly everything out. Lincoln stared at her evenly, before speaking three words.

"...Not good enough."

Lynn's breath stalled immediately. Time seemed to stop at her as she tried to figure out what was happening, why Lincoln was acting like this to her. She quickly examined his form, as if what was really bothering him could be found on his skin. Finally looking up to his eyes, she found the usual thing that greeted her for the past few days: pain trying to mask itself with indifference, and no fear at all, even after she screamed at him.

No fear at all…

Lynn suddenly couldn't breathe for another reason. It couldn't be...could it?

Seeing Lynn react, the neutral look on Lincoln's face shifted into a grim thin line. Leaning over, he called out. "It's fine. Me and Lynn have something to talk about, okay?"

Looking over her own shoulder, she saw her siblings looking at the two of them, probably what all the commotion was about. As Lincoln calmed them down, they went back to what they were doing, only a bit slower as they kept their view on them. Seeing this, Lincoln reached around Lynn and shut the door, making Lynn have to adjust her positioning to avoid getting hit by it.

As soon as the door closed completely, Lincoln stepped closer to Lynn, who unconsciously stepped back, her backwards motion soon stopped by the door. Lincoln calmly rested his hand on the door on the side of the doorknob, letting his weight lean against it. The two stared at each other in silence before Lincoln finally spoke.

"Listen, Lynn. I know now, and the only reason I haven't told anyone is because I don't feel like making a scene. And rest assured, it will stay that way unless I don't feel like that. Do you understand me?"

Lynn nodded like it was going out of style.

"Good...Now get out."

As soon as Lincoln's hand left the door, Lynn found the doorknob and turned. She fell over as the door no longer supported her weight. Crabwalking out of the room, she saw Lincoln give her one last look, before closing the door, leaving her alone in the hallway.

He knew… _He knew._

She...She needed a drink.

Shakily getting up, she walked down the stairs and into the kitchen, the same way that she had done a thousand million times before. Yet, she didn't feel the movement, her feet feeling like they were touching nothing at all. Before she knew it, she was reaching for the drinking glasses.

She grabbed one, at least she thought she did, and turned on the faucet. Weird, the water was running, right into the cup, but the rush of water was sounding muted. Turning off the faucet, she raised the glass to her lips and drank ravenously. As the flow of water stopped, she smacked her lips together, before they became a thin line.

Nope, throat was still bone dry.

Lynn filled her cup a second time, and drank it.

No, still a desert in her throat.

Filling her cup a third time, she stopped halfway and coughed, her tongue already getting tired of the taste of water and her stomach feeling strange. Setting the cup aside, she took a few breaths as she tried to control herself. She must have drank too much water, she could feel liquid dripping down the side of her face.

Wait...the water wasn't coming from her mouth. She finally realized that something was wrong with her vision. Rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand, she realized that it came away wet. Now using a fingertip to wipe away the moisture, she pulled it away and stared at the teardrop that was balancing on her nail.

"I'm going now!"

Lynn looked up, barely registering the sounds of replied 'see you' and 'stay safe' as the sound of footsteps came closer and closer. Finally, as the sounds at the stairs stopped, Lincoln appeared, not even giving her a glance or a comment as he passed by the kitchen. Lynn stayed silent, her tears unnoticed, as she finally realized something.

To her, the frost was only the tip of the iceberg. It signaled a wall between them so vast and thick that even one who lived for a challenge like her would call any effort to break it down laughable. As Lincoln disappeared out of sight, and Lynn tried to control herself from crying so that everyone else didn't try asking what's wrong, she didn't know what hurt more.

The idea that such a gulf now existed between them, or that the blame now solely rested on her shoulders.

* * *

"MISS DORIS, WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU'RE NOT COMING IN TODAY, OR ANY OF THE CAFETERIA STAFF?!"

Let it be said that one probably didn't want to be Principal Wilbur Huggins at this point in time. After a sleepless night spent contemplating about what to do now that Balor had revealed his ruse and sent a mob of angered parents to his voicemail, he eventually realized that he had nothing. His boss was practically breathing down his neck, when his demands to do something about the grade problem had set a time deadline that was practically impossible to meet in the first place. And after his coffee machine malfunctioned and deprived him of his morning caffeine, he had to come into his office and find that the cafeteria staff had apparently decided to take the day off, with Miss Doris even claiming that he called her in the middle of the night and told her to tell them that.

Seeing as though he had been awake the whole night, having not drank a single drop of alcohol, and could perfectly recite every idea he had and the time that he had it… He probably had a lapse in judgement and called up Miss Doris, thereby confirming Miss Doris' story. Clearly, that made sense...NOT!

"I'm telling you what I heard. The phone rang, I answered it, and it was you. And you told me to tell the rest of the staff to take the day off, because you already had it covered."

"AND I'M TELLING YOU THAT I DON'T, MISS DORIS! BAD ENOUGH THAT THIS HAS GOTTEN OUT OF CONTROL, BUT NOW I HAVE TO DEAL WITH AT LEAST 400 STUDENTS THAT WON'T BE ABLE TO HAVE LUNCH!"

Principal Huggins let his face fall into his palm, before wearily looking up, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I...I apologize for my outburst, Miss Doris. I am...under a lot of stress, and it is incredibly unfair to unleash my frustrations on you."

"No, the fault is mine, Principal. I probably should have been more suspicious of that call."

Principal Huggins thought carefully about the response that he should give when he heard something hit his window. Looking outside it, his eyes widened as he saw Balor, unfortunately fully masked, lazily tossing a pebble up and down. As soon as the masked person saw that Principal Huggins noticed him, he gave a jaunty little wave.

Suddenly, he had a better idea of who called Miss Doris as he leaned in closer to the phone receiver.

"Miss Doris, can you stay by the phone for a couple of minutes? And please do not worry. I believe I have an idea of who called you."

"Alright, Principal Huggins."

Ending the call and placing the phone on his desk, he opened the window and looked at Balor, trying his best to hide his current ire towards the masked person.

"Balor, to what do I owe your...presence?"

Balor held up a finger as he cleared his throat, before speaking.

"Mr. Huggins!" Balor said, mimicking Huggins with near perfect precision. "You look quite terrible, I assume because you have not been sleeping well? Don't you know that eight hours of sleep is the recommended amount of sleep one such as you should be getting?"

"SO IT WAS YOU!" Principal Huggins lost control of his temper, smashing the edge of the window with his hand, his lips restraining themselves from turning into a snarl. "WHY HAVE YOU DONE THIS?! WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO GAIN FROM DENYING AT LEAST 400 STUDENTS LUNCH?!"

Balor didn't even respond. Heck, due to the mask, Huggins even wondered if Balor was even paying attention. It wasn't long before Balor responded in his normal voice.

"Yeesh, first of all, stop screaming. It's starting to do a number on my ear. Second of all, don't assume that I did this for a laugh. Yeah, I did it, as a favor to you."

Principal Huggins was incredulous.

"A favor? To me? How is this 'doing me a favor?'"

"Well," Balor said as he leaned his head on the edge of the open window. "If you looked outside your office, you could see all the protesters now in class."

"WHAT?"

Turning on his heel and running out his office, he opened the door and looked out. Immediately, he saw a few students that clearly were participating in the protest walking the halls, on their way to their classes. Though as soon as those students saw that he was looking at them, they quickly gave him the stinkeye. Closing the door, he turned around to see his secretary pointing at his office.

"Sir, what is Balor doing in your office, messing with your phone?"

Looking at his office, he saw Balor doing the very thing that his secretary described. He cautiously walked over, now unsure of what Balor was planning.

"Well, Balor, I must say that I am quite confused. While I thank you for allowing the protesters to attend their classes, I am curious as to why you did so."

Balor looked up from the phone, before shrugging.

"What, we both know that you messed up the situation pretty bad. Sure, I drummed up a protest, but you literally hid that fact. I'm sure parents expect me to be the bad boy who probably loiters around a parking lot, but they expect you to be the responsible one, and if they can't trust you to be that, then why are you even in a seat of authority? That's why I'm doing you a favor, Principal Huggins. You got the students back in their classes, and you have a grand apology planned out in the form of a special lunch for all the students."

"In short, not much you can do for the parents, but maybe the kids might be more inclined to tell them all about how you're the bestest guy in the whole world. Here's the phone, Principal Huggins. You got some calls to make."

Handing the phone to Principal Huggins, he gave a two finger salute before jumping out of the window and walking out of sight. Looking down at the phone in his hands, he raised it up to his ear. A few more rings, before someone on the other hand picked up.

"Hello, Mario Mario's Pizzeria. I'm afraid we're unable to take any orders at this time."

"Umm… Okay, thank you for your time."

"Wait, what's your name?"

"Wilbur Huggins?"

"Ah, Mr. Huggins. I am pleased to report that your order will be ready to be delivered in the next hour."

"...My order?"

* * *

As the bell rang for lunch, Lucy got up from her desk and joined the crowd of her fellow students trying to get out of the room. Looking back at her teacher, the person noticed Lucy looking at them and nodded. As the goth exited the classroom and looked around the busy hallway, she saw her friend Haiku waiting for her.

"Haiku." Lucy greeted.

"Lucy." Haiku greeted back, before the two of them walked together on their route to the cafeteria.

"Feels strange to be back in school." Haiku commented.

"Yes, it does." Lucy replied. "...Do you know why Balor told us to go back?"

"...I wouldn't know. I could only guess on the inner workings of Balor's mind…"

As they reached the cafeteria, the two stopped as they saw a group of students blocking the entrance. Looking at each other, they went forward, carefully making their way, not so much as pushing and shoving, but flowing through the crowd like water through soil. As they finally reached the front of the crowd, they stopped and stared like all the rest as they saw with their own eyes what was making everyone stop in their tracks.

Pizza. So many boxes of pizza and bottles of soda were stacked on the floor. Meanwhile teachers and other such staff were setting up plates with slices on them and cups filled with soda. And judging from the empty boxes and bottles that were taken away, and the still full boxes and bottles, there was probably still enough for everyone to have seconds or even thirds. And none of the staff that was setting up the food looked to be the regular cafeteria staff, and even the kitchen itself seemed to be completely empty.

Did this mean…?

Lucy's eyes met Haiku as they both felt the energy starting to build in the crowd behind them. They barely had time to move to the side before the crowd erupted into cheers and moved forward like a tidal wave that brushed aside anything in its wake. As the dust settled, Haiku let go of her skirt and Lucy let out a breath she had to be holding in.

"Well," Haiku commented as she watched the rest of the students lining up. "I suppose that's one reason to come back to class."

"Balor must have planned this. There is no way he could have just predicted it, he must have gotten Principal Huggins to agree to this." Lucy replied, her unseen eyes starting to glisten with joy. Sure, the pizza was nice, but that wasn't what was making Lucy happy. She knew that Principal Huggins was notorious for being strict with this sort of thing.

But if Balor managed to get Principal Huggins to agree to this, then surely their clubs would be brought back.

"Lucy." Haiku's tone brought her back from her fantasy. Looking back at Haiku, she saw that the older girl was restraining her own joy.

"Let us not be too fanciful. It just seems too good to be true." Lucy nodded as her expression shut off what joy managed to show on her face.

"Still…" Haiku said with a slight smile. "It would be a shame to not enjoy this bounty that has been set for us."

Lucy returned the smile as the two got into the line. Both grabbing a plate of pepperoni and a cup, they sat at their usual spot, soon joined by the rest of the Morticians Club. As Lucy ate her slice, she felt someone's presence come up from behind her.

"Hey, Lucy. Mind if I sit here?" Lincoln asked, holding a plate and cup of his own.

"Sure." Lucy said as she made room. "Where's Clyde?"

"I don't know," He said as he sat down. "I guess he got held up."

Lucy nodded, but not before noticing the shift in the atmosphere. As Lincoln took a bite of his pizza, the rest of the Morticians Club staring at him, an element that just dropped himself into their midst. If Lincoln was uncomfortable at their staring, he didn't show it. Swallowing his food, and taking a drink from his cup, he merely waved.

"Don't mind me, just needed a place to sit. Feel free to pretend I'm not here." He said before taking another bite.

"Please do not stare." Haiku said to the rest of the club. "He is indeed Lucy's brother, and yes, his hair is natural."

"Wait... That's why they're staring?" Lucy and Lincoln looked at the rest of the Morticians Club, and more closely examined them. They now looked at Lincoln like he was some new specimen that had came unexpectedly into their midst.

"Really? That's her brother?"

"I thought that Lucy set Haiku up with another friend?"

"Is that really your hair color?"

"Yeah, it is." Lincoln replied. "And before you ask, no, I don't know why it is that color either."

Before the conversation could continue, the lights turned off. Rather than panicking, the group looked over to the entrance to the cafeteria, where two boys were waiting, one having a familiar boombox on his shoulder. Turning it on, music spewed forth from the machine, signalling an entrance. Finally, as the music hit its crescendo, the most popular kid in school, Chandler, burst through the doors and struck a pose, a spotlight illuminating him a moment later.

"Such a frivolous display of ego…" Haiku commented with the other members of the Morticians Club nodding in agreement. However, as the display went on, Lucy couldn't help but notice something.

Usually, when Chandler made his appearances, the whole student body got up and cheered themselves into a fever pitch as he announced who would be invited to one of his insipid parties. But now, while the excitement was still there, it was muted, not at the same level as before. Lucy slightly smirked, oh how have the mighty fallen once a new name attaches itself on the lips of the people. And seeing the brief expression of frustration on Chandler's face showed her that he knew of his new position in the social hierarchy.

"SO...WHERE'S LARRY LOUD?!"

As everyone looked around, looking for 'Larry Loud', Lucy turned to look at Lincoln, who blinked as he looked at one person beside Chandler. Looking in the same direction, she saw Lincoln's friend whisper something into Chandler's ear. Chander gave a look back at Clyde, before shouting out again.

"SORRY, I MEANT WHERE'S LINCOLN LOUD?!"

Lincoln simply gave a sigh before standing up. "Hey, over here."

Everyone in the crowd turned to face Lincoln, and by proxy, the Morticians Club as well. Lucy tried not to show her discomfort with all the attention that was on their area as Chandler and his posse came closer. Finally, the group stood in front of Lincoln, with Clyde joining them.

"So...I heard you know Balor, sometimes even hang out with him."

If there was anyone that had stopped paying attention, their attention surely would have been drawn back in. Lucy knew that she was now looking up at Lincoln, wondering how her brother managed such a feat. To her, Balor was the mysterious person that had just dropped in one day to help, and Lincoln apparently knew him.

Lincoln didn't even blink an eye at all the attention that was now on him. "Yeah… you can say that we hang out sometimes. Get some drinks, play bloody knuckles, no big deal."

"Bloody knuckles?" Chandler asked, looking down at Lincoln's bandaged hand, before grimacing a little. Lucy looked at Lincoln's hand and started to wonder. After all, Lincoln 'claimed' that he got a split knuckle by punching Lynn's bag, and Balor started showing up with his hands now wrapped in cloth. She could see why Lincoln would probably not want people to know that he knew Balor.

Still, the idea that her brother would willingly play a game of Bloody Knuckles was...unsettling to say the least.

"Anyways, I guess what Hyde said was true." "Clyde." "Whatever. Here."

Chandler handed Lincoln an envelope. Looking up, he saw Clyde giving him a thumbs up. Looking back down, he looked all around only to see no writing on it.

"What's this supposed to be?"

"Tell Balor when you see him that's his invitation to my next party. If you can do that, then feel free to come along with him." He looked at the present company at the table, before smirking. "But definitely leave the freak squad out of it."

Thankfully, Lucy didn't hold Chandler in high regard, so his words rolled off her like water off a duck's backside. However, Lincoln looked less than pleased as he looked back at Lucy before looking back at the envelope. Then he held it out to Chandler.

"Here."

Chandler looked at the envelope then at Lincoln. "What, are you stupid? That's for Balor."

Lincoln nodded. "Yeah, and let me save you the time. Balor definitely isn't going to show up."

Chandler huffed. "And what do you know about Balor? Heck, I bet you and Hyde over there lied about knowing him."

The classmates around them began to murmur, clearly a little miffed that Lincoln was lying.

Lincoln didn't even react.

"I know plenty. Enough to know that he's got way more important things to do than to go to your crummy parties."

"CRUMMY?!"

"Yeah, and by the way, IS THAT BALOR OVER THERE?!"

Almost as one, the students turned and began to cheer, the noise already more than what Chandler could have generated. Chandler himself immediately turned to look for Balor, only to realize that there was no one there. As the noise quieted down, Lincoln dumped the letter back into Chandler's hands. Chandler simply looked back at Lincoln, his lips a severe frown.

"Why did you do that?" Chandler asked.

"Because I can already tell why you wanted Balor to come. Stinks that you're old news, huh, Chandler?"

With that, Lincoln turned away from Chandler, going back to his now cold pizza. Chandler glared at him, before leaving the room, his two cronies behind him. Clyde looked between him and Lincoln, before deciding to sit down. Lucy, unsure of what had happened, felt she had to ask something.

"Lincoln, are you okay?"

Lincoln turned to Lucy and smiled.

"Never better."

* * *

"Hey, Lincoln."

Lincoln ignored Clyde as he continued to dress himself. Him, Clyde, and Ronnie Anne were in the same corner of the school campus that Lincoln used to change into Balor. Right now, there was clearly a tension in the air between Clyde and Lincoln, to the point that Ronnie Anne watched out for interlopers far away from them.

"Are you mad?"

Lincoln took a deep breath as he put his mask on.

"Why did you do it?"

"Huh?"

"Why did you tell Chandler that I 'knew' Balor?"

"Well, when I was getting out of class, I heard Chandler talking about inviting Balor over for his next party. So I went over and said that you knew Balor. I was hoping that, you know, we could get invited to his next shindig."

"Clyde…"

"Yeah?"

Suddenly, Lincoln shoved Clyde hard. Clyde, caught off balance, fell over, landing on his back. Ronnie Anne looked back, slackjawed. Clyde propped himself on his hands and readjusted his glasses.

"Lincoln, what the heck, man?"

"I should asking you that." Balor responded, his sunglasses doing little to hide the utter fury in his eyes. "LIKE WHAT THE HECK WERE YOU THINKING?!"

Balor took off his sunglasses, rubbed the bridge of his nose, before putting them back on. Taking another deep breath, he took one look at Clyde.

Then he grabbed Clyde by his shoulders and shook him violently.

"WHY WOULD YOU DO IT? DIDN'T YOU THINK THAT IF PEOPLE THOUGHT THAT LINCOLN LOUD AND BALOR WERE CONNECTED, THEY WOULD EVENTUALLY BE ABLE TO WORK OUT THAT THEY HAVEN'T BEEN SEEN IN THE SAME ROOM AS EACH OTHER?!"

"Hey, cool it!" Ronnie Anne shouted as she ran over, pulling Balor's hands off Clyde. Balor didn't notice much as he grabbed his head, muttering about people asking him to get pictures of himself.

"...I really messed up, didn't I?" Clyde asked Ronnie.

"Totally." Ronnie replied, before looking at Balor. Balor gave one last look before turning around.

"You guys go home. I'm gonna go see Principal Huggins." With that, Balor began to leave.

Ronnie gave one last look at Clyde, before getting up and running in front of Balor.

"Ronnie, you need something?" Despite the genteel nature of his words, his tone clearly asked her to move out of the way. Ronnie stood her ground and asked the thing that was bothering her lately.

"Lincoln, what is up with you?"

"What are you talking about? And don't forget I'm Balor when I'm like this."

"Yeah, exactly. For the past week, we never hang out like we used to. All we have been doing is helping you with this Balor stuff, and it's like we never see you out of it. And then there's all this other stuff. What just happened with you and Clyde, Bloody Knuckles? You've changed."

Balor simply didn't react, just listened, before walking past her.

"People always change, Ronnie."

Ronnie shook her head, feeling like everything she had just said washed over Lincoln's head.

"How long are you even planning to be Balor anyway?"

Balor didn't even respond.

As Balor entered into the campus proper, he made a beeline for the Principal's office. Only slowing down to grab a pebble off the ground, he threw it at the window. The pebble bounced off the glass, and soon after, Principal Huggins opened the window.

"Can't you just go through my door like a normal person?"

Balor chuckled. "Normal's boring. So...How's my favor working out?"

"Well, I'm receiving less angry calls from parents, so I suppose that's a plus. And I guess you wish for the clubs to be reinstated?"

"Gee, it's like you've been watching the news."

"...What's to stop me from deciding not to rescind the order?"

"I still got your credit card information memorized. How does Pizza Friday sound?"

"...Fine. You win. Starting today, all club activity will be allowed to resume."

"Thank you for your time. Hopefully, we don't have to meet like this again."

"I do hope so too…" Principal Huggins turned back, hearing his phone ring. Balor turned away, ready to leave the Principal to his next call.

So that was it. His job was done here.

...So what next?

His pondering was interrupted when Principal Huggins called out to him.

"Balor, it's for you." He said, holding out the phone. Balor turned to him, a question clearly on his face despite his covered features. Coming closer, he got the phone receiver and put it close to his ear.

"Hello?"

"Ah, Mr. Balor, I presume?"

"Just Balor."

"Well, Balor. Allow me to introduce myself, I'm Bruce White, Superintendent of your school district."

"Wow, color me surprised. And what did little old me do to warrant a personal call?"

"Let's cut to the chase. As of now, all club activity of Royal Woods Elementary isn't just suspended, it is all banned."

"...What?"

"And that's not all. You have been quite a naughty little boy, haven't you, Balor."

"Or should I say, _Lincoln Loud_?"

* * *

Author's Note:

Well, that was a doozy of a chapter, wasn't it? And thankfully, this chapter wasn't a slog to write, so hopefully the text reflects that feeling.

Also a brief reminder that Lincoln Loud/Balor is currently fearless, nursing grudges, self-loathing, and sleep deprived. At this point, he has a molotov cocktail in his hands, and he just got handed a match.

On another note, felt like I needed to share this, considering the whole thing with you-know-who. The author of one of my favorite manga of all time, Rurouni Kenshin, had been convicted and confessed to a crime back in November of last year. The crime being, you who, possession of illicit material that stars members of society below a certain acceptable...age. I just googled it, and it looked legal. All the sites were running it, it's all over, and like I said, the author himself has even confessed to it.

I am...heartbroken. I will admit, I was more or less starting out on Loud House when the news broke out. Yeah, I was disappointed that he-who-will-not-be-named was convicted of those charges, but it was the general sort of disappointment.

But Rurouni Kenshin was one of my personal favorite manga, even media. And the idea that the author is responsible for such a thing threatens to taint my enjoyment...

Is what I'm sure you guys would think.

Well, let me tell about my favorite arc in the manga, and possibly one of my favorite moments in all of media.

The fight between the child sidekick and the berserker with a prototype grenade launcher.

Now let me set the scene up. The series is set in 1878, a period of Japan where the old ways of doing things (samurais, shogun, sword-fighting) was starting to be swept in favor of the new and the rest of the world coming in. Now as you know, while most people will probably adapt to the changing times, there are some who are stuck in the past. The berserker, once a samurai like the titular character Kenshin, is Skywalker'd by Kenshin. The berserker then begs Kenshin to kill him, not wanting to live in an era where 'the samurai spirit' would surely be extinguished, and that death is preferable to not being able to live as a samurai.

Kenshin refuses and leaves him, giving the berserker a reason to bear a grudge.

Years later, the berserker has been captured after a fight with the protagonist, and goes into a berserker rage when he hears the protagonist's name. He breaks out of prison, gets a prototype hand-mounted grenade launcher, and goes on a rampage. Meanwhile, the protagonist is emotionally incapacitated by recent events, and all other fighters in the group are away. All except the child sidekick who is still learning the ways of the sword.

That sidekick goes, rallies what's left of the police force, and goes to face the berserker. In a way, this fight encapsulates one of the themes of the series, man vs the changing of the times.

The boy who admires the ways and ideals of the old world while still looking forward to the new vs. The man stuck in the past. Even their weapons are juxtaposed against each other, the boy wielding a wooden sword while the berserker wields a GRENADE LAUNCHER.

The battle is brutal. While the berserker is seemingly invincible, the sidekick and the rest of the police officers give everything and throw everything at the berserker. The sidekick even gives up his well-being in order to shield a small boy that had accidentally wondered into the battlezone. Finally...all seems lost.

The berserker has the sidekick pinned, the grenade launcher poised. One of the police officers, inspired by the sidekick's spirit, desperately prays for a miracle. The sidekick must not die here, he has so much to give world. PLEASE, SOMEONE SAVE HIM!

A rush of wind, and the berserker is knocked back. The hero has snapped out of his Heroic BSOD, and soundly kicks the berserker's butt. Soon, the two are left in the same position as before, the cut-off grenade launcher reminding the berserker of his hand and seemingly calming him down.

Then the berserker asks for the protagonist to kill him, the same reasoning as before. The protagonist refuses again. Enraged, the berserker threatens to set off his grenade belt, because this new age has no place for 'the samurai spirit', or for him.

The kid sidekick shuts him up and then tears him a new one. He compares the protagonist, who has spent the last few years of his life trying to help the people and protect this new age, and the berserker, who has done nothing besides destroy and cry over his hand.

"You spent so much time crying over your right hand, have you ever thought about what you could have done with YOUR LEFT?!"

The child sidekick finally ends his speech by breaking his own hand, and challenging the berserker to a one-on-one.

The berserker cries and gracefully surrenders, thanking both the protagonist and the child sidekick for their kindness. The protagonist sees him off with a farewell.

"Goodbye, go live in the new world."

Even now knowing the author's involvement in such despicable things, this moment is still one of my favorites moments, and I will probably go hunt down some scans after this.

Sorry this note might have gone off rails, I just felt you guys would understand what I'm feeling.


	12. Things Fall Apart

I'm terribly sorry for the cliffhanger. Because I feel like after this chapter, a lot of people might want it back.

Seriously, I didn't mean anything by this. I just felt like it was the logical path that Lincoln, at this point, would take after all his development to this point. And to make sure people know, there is such a thing as negative development.

Finally, to the two guest reviews,

JT65: More like Bruce White pulled a Sherlock Holmes on Balor...or maybe pulled a Scooby Doo.

Guest: Sorry, but no, but you do get more pain.

Guest: Yes, figured someone needed to figure it out that was outside of the normal environment.

Alright, let's get this slow motion car crash rolling.

Beta Reader: InquisitorJeeves

* * *

Everything stopped as he took stock of all the sensations around him.

He felt the sunshine slightly warming his skin trough his clothes. He saw Principal Huggins stare at him inquisitively, raising one of his eyebrows. He heard the students in the hallways, loudly talking about their plans for the afternoon as their shoes squeaked on the floor. His mouth was dry, his muscles still, every hair on his body practically standing on end. But worst of all…

There was something starting to emerge inside him, a feeling that he knew about in an academic sense, something that he could only describe in vague words and estimations. But now, he felt the curdling of his gut, the tenseness of his muscles, the shiver going down his spine. No...not now, NOT NOW!

Balor was about to slap himself before realizing where he was.

He forced himself to relax. After all, this was a critical moment. Sure, Bruce White might have guessed correctly, but it was still a guess. Balor was sure that Bruce actually didn't have any evidence to prove that Balor was Lincoln Loud.

Every call he had made was on a public payphone, so it wasn't like they could be traced to the house. Every time that he could have been caught on any kind of camera, he would have been completely covered. Even the link between Lincoln and Flip would be covered by the fact that the school would do anything as long as it didn't have to admit that they had sent two students to the business of a conman.

The only real thing that Bruce White probably had was the fact that Lincoln Loud didn't have an official presence at either the protest or the school. Sure, he tried to answer that issue by planting Clyde in the protest and planting Ronnie in the school to explain his disappearance in both those places. Unfortunately, even Balor had to yield to the fact that one cannot occupy two places at once.

Still, the little talk he had with himself made its calming effect known immediately. It might have been a lucky guess, but a guess nonetheless. As long as he kept his cool and didn't screw it up, he could at least walk out of the school to fight another day.

Still didn't do much to soothe the sting he felt.

All this was processed in a second, and Balor felt himself return to the present, still holding the phone in his hand. The first reaction was important, and if he says the wrong thing...Well, he could kiss goodbye to being Balor. Come on, Balor, think. What to say?

"Who?"

...Nailed it. You can think later about if you meant that sarcastically or not.

"Oh, I thought you would have recognized the name."

"Oh… I git it. yer tart yer got somethin' on me, an' pulled oyt sum random name av sum random shmuk ter rattle me. Pure clever."

"Hmm...I could have sworn that was who you were."

"Right nigh, oi really don't loike yer, but let me gie yer sum advice. Yer really shouldn't accuse someone al' willy-nilly av somethin'. Dat dare leads ter lashings av trouble."

"As opposed to what you have done today?"

"Yeah, de pizza tin'? Yeah, oi did dat. but why punish everyone? I'm de wan dat decided ter chucker dat, an' everyone else in de protest didn't nu. Oi didn't tell dem. Why else chucker yer tink dat everyone 'ad broot extra lunches? If yer really want ter punish someone, den punish me. LEAVE EVERYONE ELSE OYT!"

"But Balor. We simply cannot allow your case to stand. It would set a dangerous precedent in our district that causing enough of a disruption can change the judgement of the administration. Also, we cannot punish you for we do not know your identity. And so, we will punish the known elements. Although, that is quite the bold claim, coming from you. Are you saying that you would be willing to give up your true identity for the sake of others, Balor?"

'Yes. Just say yes.'

"Y...Y…"

'One word. Heck, one syllable. Just say it. Yes. Yes! YES! JUST SAY IT!'

"Y...Ye…"

"Well...Balor. I believe you've shown the extent of your resolve, and I must say, I am a little disappointed."

'Jerk, you didn't give me enough time. I was going to say it. I really meant it. I really did…'

"However, as interesting as this conversation is, my time is dreadfully short, so I'm afraid that I will have to cut this short."

Good, the superintendent was finally going to stop. That's good, that's good. Sure, his plans just took a massive hit, and the finish line was now more farther from sight then ever. But at least he was able to keep his identity a secret. At least he could still move around without people suspecting something. At least he could still think of something to help the situation.

"Still, I suppose that it is a good thing that you're not Lincoln Loud." Superintendent Bruce mused out loud, making Balor stop in his pondering. Why was he listening anyway?

Maybe there was something in that tone that told him that Superintendent Bruce didn't buy any of his excuses for a second.

"After all, I've been looking through all the records of people I suspect of being Balor. From what I saw of Lincoln Loud, he has quite the household. I myself have a brother and a sister, but I scarcely imagine having 11 more siblings. Honestly, how would anyone get any peace in that household? The answer honestly escapes me."

Where was he going with this?

"Anyways, I suppose it is a kindness that you're not Lincoln Loud. The oldest sister he has, what was her name? Luan? Lucy? Loni? Lori? Yes, Lori I believe?"

What was he doing?

"She's in her senior year, and I bet like the rest of her class, she has her heart set on attending college. Heh, I remember college. Quite a memorable four years of my life, and I'm sure as long as she applies herself, college will be quite a fruitful time for her."

'He wouldn't…'

"So, it is a good thing that Lincoln Loud has no relation with you. I imagine being related to a known ruffian would hurt her application in the eyes of any college that she wishes to enter."

'He would…'

"But those are just some idle thoughts of an old man. Do not pay attention to my ramblings. But I'm sure I've kept you long enough for the time being, and I'm sure that you have many things to think about."

Jerk. Douche. Butthole.

"Have a good day…"

Stinker. Yahoo. .

"Mr. Loud."

BASTARD!

"YOU LISTEN TO ME! YOU HAVE A PROBLEM WITH ME, YOU TAKE IT OUT ON ME, BUT LEAVE HER OUT OF IT, BASTARD!"

Balor was breathing hard, his hand gripping the phone tight. The ticking of the clock was the only thing he could hear. Turning around, he saw Principal Huggins, his eyes wide.

It was then that Balor remembered where he was and what he had just done. It didn't help that he could feel the palpable smirk coming from the phone.

"Well-" Whatever else that the Superintendent intended to say was cut short as Balor smashed the receiver down on the rest, then sweeping it off the desk. Glaring at the fallen phone, he grasped his head as he forced himself to recall what just happened.

He blew it. He had one thing to do, one thing on the agenda, and he blew it. As far as he knew it, everything had just been blown to hell.

"Balor?"

Balor looked at Principal Huggins, suddenly looking very concerned about the outburst that had just occurred. Balor snarled, the mask covering his belligerent expression as he pointed at Principal Huggins.

"This isn't over, you hear me? THIS ISN'T OVER!" With that, Balor climbed out of the window and dropped down onto the grass. Not even sparing a glance backwards, he ran as fast as he could out of there.

The scenery blurred past him as he forced himself to go faster, in a vain hope that he could somehow outrun the memory that was now burdening him. By the time he made back to his usual changing area, his heart was rapidly beating, matching the beat of a machine gun. Looking around, and seeing no one, he let himself fall to his knees, before pounding his thighs.

"Dang it... Dang it… Dang it…"

Balor threw his head back and screamed.

"DAMN IT!"

Letting his head flop forward, he took a deep breath, before starting to change back. Stuffing the last of Balor's clothes into his backpack, Lincoln Loud stepped out into the public. Trying his best to look like a regular elementary student walking home from school, he resisted the urge to rub his face as he thought about his options.

As much as he hated to admit it, Balor had to disappear, for a while anyway. Right now, he had shown his hand to Superintendent Bruce White, and he had no doubt that the man would take advantage of his blunder quickly and mercilessly. That meant he would have to hide every bit of evidence that he was Balor.

Everything had to be hidden. He would have to untie all clothes that he made into ropes. He had take down all the pictures that he used to fool the cameras. He...would have to hide Balor's clothes, and the pill that was still in his dresser.

Lincoln paused for a moment as he stood still, trying his best to put a stopper on the feelings that were threatening to overtake him.

He failed. There was no way to make the words any less lighter, or easier to take. He had failed completely, and he had no clear outside factors that he could blame. In the end, it was all his fault.

He...He needed something to punch.

As he forced his feet to resume walking, he couldn't help but remember the last words that he had said to Principal Huggins.

" _This isn't over, you hear me? THIS ISN'T OVER!"_

Never before had he said something that sounded so hollow.

* * *

Never before did she feel so hollow.

If one had to ask Lynn Loud Jr. to describe her day, she would have to say that it was … dreamlike. Nothing felt real, almost like she was just going through the motions and what she usually felt were like distant memories. She sat on the seat that made the person sitting on it hit their head on the roof whenever Vanzilla hit a bump, yet she barely felt a thing. She was pretty sure that her teachers constantly yelled at her throughout the day, yet she couldn't remember what they were saying. She had something for lunch, and she had a lot of it, but she might as well feasted on air since the food just passed through her mouth as such. Heck, she didn't even remember which sport she had practice for today, or if there even was practice.

All day, she had only those cold eyes in mind as she continuously came to one conclusion.

She screwed up.

She screwed up so badly.

She screwed everything up so badly that she was surprised that Lincoln didn't immediately start running at her with a baseball bat. And she didn't, couldn't blame him. Looking back, how many times did she actually deserve to have something happen to her after the crap that she put Lincoln through? And there she continued on, believing that Lincoln would be his usual self, all forgiving and accepting. But now… it finally happened, and she was left wondering if there was anything she could do now.

Lynn was sure the only reason that she wasn't breaking out into more tears was the fact she used up all the ones that she had.

As such, she was slowly walking back home, refusing her sister's ride and hoping that by the time that she reached her home, that she would at least have pieces of an idea to earning her brother's forgiveness. Unfortunately, by the time that she saw the roof of their house, no such thing appeared. Sighing, she grasped the doorknob and turned it.

When the door didn't open, she looked down at the broken off door knob in her hand.

"Dang it." She muttered before starting to knock on the door. No response. She started to knock harder. Still no response. She looked over at the driveway, confirming Vanzilla's presence. Putting her ear close to the door, she confirmed her fears as the sheer noise that her other sisters were making made it impossible for anyone to hear her.

Sighing, she let her bag fall to the side as she took a seat on the stairs, face firmly looking downward as she hoped for someone to notice that she was outside.

"Door knob broken?" At the sound of him, Lynn looked up, seeing Lincoln, his cold eyes looking past her.

Lynn looked down again. "Yeah."

She could hear footsteps as Lincoln passed by her, knocking on the door and waiting for a couple of moments. When no one came, she heard him sigh, before something dropped on the floor next to her. Jumping a bit, she looked over to see Lincoln's backpack. Looking up, she saw Lincoln walking towards the backyard fence.

Without a moment of hesitation, he hopped over the fence, the way he did it suddenly reminding Lynn of an nightmare she had a long time ago. Getting up from her seat, she ran over and looked over the fence. She saw that Lincoln had opened the shed and was now rooting through it, pulling out the boxing gloves.

"Lincoln?" She couldn't help but call out as she climbed over the fence and walked over. "What are you looking for?"

Lincoln paused for a moment, before looking at her. For that moment, a small part of Lynn's heart began to hope. Because at that moment, the look in Lincoln's eyes wasn't complete indifference.

"Lynn… I want to spar."

"R-Really?" Lynn asked, trying really hard to hide the hopefulness in her voice. Carefully moving around Lincoln, she began looking for her sparring gloves. Finding them, she took them out only for Lincoln to grab them and carelessly toss them over his shoulder.

"We don't need those. Here."

Lynn looked at the items that Lincoln held out to her. Besides the normal safety equipment, there was one pair of items that shouldn't have been there.

"I thought you said you wanted to spar." Lynn said as she looked at the other pair of boxing gloves.

"Yeah, I want to spar with you, an actual spar. Glove to glove, man to man."

Lynn found herself standing on a crossroads. Lincoln was asking her to fight him as real as possible, yet Lynn knew that the amount of training that Lincoln had gone through was nowhere near what she thought was acceptable to go to an actual bout. But, the fact remained that Lincoln was asking her for something cordially, even politely.

The smallest glimmer of a chance was lying right before Lynn, and she was going to grab it with both hands.

"Okay, let's do it."

"Not here though. I know a place in the park. Let's walk."

Lynn raised an eyebrow as Lincoln turned to walk out. 'A bit of a warm-up, huh? He's really taking this kind of seriously. Still, don't screw this up, Lynn. You're on thin ice already. So don't mess this up.'

As Lynn followed behind Lincoln, she didn't see the dark gleam in his eyes.

"Well, gotta admit, you chose a pretty good spot." Lynn commented as she pulled one of her arms across her chest, looking around at the area that Lincoln had brought them to, now dressed in her exercise clothes. It was a part of the park nearby that was off the main walking trails. The only things that were there was a decently wide (and pretty deep) river and a bridge that was built over. There was even enough space under the bridge for someone to camp under there. Taking a quick look, Lynn didn't see any hobos under it.

The other quality about the area that Lincoln brought them to was the flatness of the ground. As far as Lynn could see, the ground around this area seemed clear of any rocks or dips in the ground. Considering that Dad hadn't yet approved her idea for a backyard boxing ring, this place seemed like the next best thing if she ever wanted to spar anyone else.

Speaking of which, she turned around to see Lincoln concentrating on wrapping his hands up in boxing tape. Coming closer, she couldn't help but be impressed by the way that he was putting on the tape on his hands. It practically felt like yesterday that he needed her help even applying the stuff. But now that she thought it, there was something familiar about the way that his boxing tape was applied…

Then it hit her.

"Hey, Lincoln."

"Yeah?"

"Are you trying to be more like Balor?"

Lynn felt the atmosphere fall down. Lincoln now looked up at her with the coldest expression he could muster, making her shiver under his gaze. The moment it ended, Lynn had to resist the urge to rub her arms. Lincoln returned to his boxing tape, finishing up the tape and making a few experimental fists before nodding to himself.

"I'm ready." Lincoln said as he stood up and grabbed his boxing gloves. Lynn wanted to respond to that weird little outburst from Lincoln, but decided against it. After all, Balor was a way cooler role model for Lincoln than 'Ace Savvy.'

Though come to think of it, she hadn't seen him touch a comic book for the past few weeks.

Brushing that idle thought away, Lynn tied up her own gloves and tapped them together before nodding to herself. Adjusting her headgear one more time, she gave herself the okay. "Alright, Lincoln, you want a spar? You got it. Just remember, feel free to give up if you feel like it."

Lincoln nodded, before getting into a normal boxing stance, both hands up, with his right hand and foot slightly back. "Thanks, but no thanks."

Lynn had to restrain her smirk as she got into her own stance. "No really, you're good, just don't expect to do much against me. Kinda been doing this a bit longer than you."

Lincoln merely smirked, the sight of it making Lynn's spine tingle. "Well, let's see about that."

The two crept forward, before touching gloves and returning back to a safe distance. The two circled around each other for a bit, before Lynn quickly stepped forward and jabbed forward. Lincoln pressed forward, letting the jab hit his guard as he threw a straight. Lynn saw it coming and quickly sidestepped to the left, throwing a left hook that caught Lincoln on the side of his headgear. He tried to retaliate with a wild swing, only for Lynn to quickly step out of Lincoln's range.

"Come on, Lincoln! Don't let your guard down!" Lynn called out. Lincoln's mouth just became a thin line as he readjusted his stance, before quickly sprinting forward.

Getting up into Lynn's space, Lincoln jabbed with his left and right, before uppercutting with his left again, hoping to get under Lynn's guard. Lynn saw this coming a mile away, leaning her upper body back as Lincoln's fist sailed through the space her chin was. Acting on instinct and honed ability, Lynn quickly snapped back into place, using the momentum to aim a downward punch on Lincoln's headgear, though holding back enough to just make it a tap. Lincoln tried to react, moving backward, only to feel the tap on his headgear.

"A bit slow there, Lincoln. Try to move faster than that next time, okay?" Lynn called out again. Lincoln began showing his teeth as he charged forward again, much faster this time.

Lynn's eyes widened before she quickly sidestepped, dodging the haymaker that Lincoln aimed at her face. To her shock, Lincoln overextended the punch, putting too much weight forward into the punch. He practically sailed through the air past her before falling on his face, fist still extended forward. Lynn immediately kneeled down next to him as she looked over his form, checking for any injuries.

"Lincoln, are you alright?!" Lynn said, clear worry in her eyes as she reached for Lincoln's shoulder. Lincoln gave her a brief look before smacking her hand back, and getting to his feet.

"I'm fine." He said simply as he started to walk back into position. However, Lynn reached out and grasped Lincoln's shoulder, preventing him from moving more.

"Okay, what is up with you?" Lynn asked, becoming more and more unsettled with Lincoln's attitude. "Maybe we should hold off on this until later…"

"No, I want this right now!" Lincoln practically snarled as he shrugged off Lynn's hand and concern. "COME ON! LET'S FIGHT!"

"No!" Lynn said as she started to walk back, still staring at Lincoln as she did so. She had to cut this short, now that she could really see Lincoln's eyes. No longer was he looking at her with indifference, but now with anger and fury, all directed at her. "I'm not doing this, Lincoln! I'm not your punching bag!"

"COME ON!" Lincoln shouted.

"NO!" Lynn shouted back, trying not to feel bad as she turned her back. Lincoln was still mad, and apparently wanted to take out something on her. Too bad for him, she thought.

"Lynn, fight me. Or else I'm telling."

Those words made Lynn stop and turn around. "Y-You wouldn't."

The look of sheer glee at Lynn's discomfort made the shivers down her spine into tremors. "Yeah, I am. So get back here, and put them up. Or else…"

The threat hanged overhead as Lynn swallowed the lump that had formed in her throat. "Lincoln, c-come on, this ain't funny…"

Lincoln was unmoved. "Who said I was trying to be?"

Sensing that the situation was quickly turning ugly, Lynn switched tactics. "L-Look, Lincoln, I'm sorry-"

"Sorry?" Lincoln growled, and it was then that Lynn knew, she messed up.

Scant moments later, Lincoln rushed at Lynn, throwing another punch right at Lynn's face. Lynn's eyes widened, not having enough time to sidestep, only able to throw her arms in front of her face. A massive impact traveled up her arms, before Lincoln broke her guard. Lynn quickly stepped back before Lincoln's other hand swinged through the space her head used to be.

"SORRY THAT YOU DID SOMETHING WRONG OR SORRY THAT YOU GOT CAUGHT?!" Lincoln screamed as he swung again, the fist smashing into Lynn's guard. Returning the fist to his side, he lashed out again with his other hand. The pattern repeated again and again, Lincoln's fists more akin to sledgehammers trying to break down a wall.

Lynn gritted her teeth as she tried her best to withstand Lincoln's assault. With a creeping realization, she saw that every punch, every blow was coming at her with the intent of doing damage. Lincoln wasn't pulling his punches, he was genuinely trying to hurt her.

"LINCOLN, W-" "SHUT UP!" Lincoln punctuated this statement by lowering one of his punches and hitting Lynn's side. Lynn gasped as she lowered her guard, only for Lincoln to punch her in the face, making her stumble backwards.

"SO WHY DID YOU DO IT, HUH? TO MAKE ME MORE LIKE YOU? YOU WANT ME TO LIKE THE THINGS YOU LIKE? WELL, ARE WE HAVING FUN YET?"

Lincoln was on her again, now alternating between hitting her in the midsection and on the head. Lynn now struggled to keep up with Lincoln, able to guard against most of Lincoln's punches only for a few to slip through and hit her. Desperately thinking of something that could make Lincoln stop, she made the mistake of looking again at Lincoln's eyes.

In that moment, she wished they would go back to indifference.

"I ACTUALLY THOUGHT I HAD SOMETHING!" Lincoln ranted. "THAT I FINALLY REALIZED SOMETHING ON MY OWN! BUT NO, IT'S JUST YOU! IT'S ALWAYS JUST YOU GUYS! EVERYTHING I DO, YOU GUYS ARE ALWAYS BEHIND SOMETHING! ALWAYS MEDDLING IN MY LIFE, AND ALWAYS TREATING ME LIKE GARBAGE!"

Lynn let her guard down again, only this time distraught by what Lincoln was vocalizing. This cost her as Lincoln stepped forward and stomped on Lynn's foot, holding her in place. Lincoln's gloves shot out and grabbed Lynn by her head. Lincoln's head came forward and smashed Lynn on her headguard. It still made Lynn flinch, making her miss the haymaker that smashed into her cheek, sending her sprawling.

Not even a second later, Lincoln was on her, knees on one of her arms and her midsection. Grabbing Lynn's head, he laid it flat on the ground. She could only raise her remaining glove to her face.

"WELL, ARE WE HAVING FUN NOW, LYNN?!"

*WHAM*

"HUH?"

*WHAM*

"HUH?"

*WHAM*

Lynn tried to wriggle out, but Lincoln might as well been a rock on her. Trying to ward off the rain of blows, she could only look up at the hateful eyes that Lincoln was giving.

At that point, something broke inside Lynn.

"Stop."

*WHAM*

"Stop!"

*WHAM*

"PLEASE STOP!"

*WHAM*

"LINCOLN STOP!"

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the rain of blows became a shower, before stopping. Daring to open her eyes, she saw Lincoln breathing heavily as he took off his boxing gloves, staring down at her with nothing but contempt in his eyes. She closed her eyes again as Lincoln practically threw the boxing gloves down at her, before looking back at him.

"I could still tell at any time. But remember this: consider us done, Lynn."

With that, Lincoln turned around and left the area. It took a while, before Lynn finally sat up, and hugged her knees. On any other day, she would have hated herself for doing what she was going to do. But today, she lost someone and something, and he made it clear.

Lynn Loud began to cry.

* * *

Lincoln was stonefaced as he walked up the familiar steps to his house. He was quiet as he inspected the door, before opening it. He was stern as he traversed the first few steps into the house.

Then someone passed by him, and he was sure that he saw a flash of black.

"Lincoln, where were you?" Lori said as she looked over, the whole family minus Lynn Jr. and Lucy staring at the TV. "Never mind, you gotta see this!"

"What?" Lincoln said as he came over to watch the tv.

"This just in, Superintendent Bruce White has revealed information that Balor has committed credit card fraud!"

Lincoln sat there as the news told everything, about how Balor had stolen Principal Huggins' credit card and used it to pretend that the school was hosting a school-wide pizza party. After a while, Lincoln had some relief that apparently Superintendent White didn't reveal his name. That, however, was little comfort as he listened to the comments around him.

"I knew that such a ruffian would have malicious intent."

"I can't believe that Balor actually did that. I mean, didn't you hear him at that interview?"

"Poor Lucy. She must be crushed."

Finally, Superintendent White came on screen and gave his piece.

"Rest assured, I will be personally traveling to Royal Woods Elementary to address the matter. What Balor has done is inexcusable, and as such, any demands or points that he has ring hollow. Believe me, Mr. Tucker and parents of Royal Woods, there will be discipline."

Lincoln had enough. Silently getting up, he climbed up the stairs, ignoring the calls of everyone else about where Lynn Jr. was as well as the tv saying something about a storm warning. Getting to the top of the stairs, he was about to go to his room when he heard something. Walking over to Lucy and Lynn Jr.'s room, he gently pressed his ear against the door and listened.

There it was, the sound of Lucy crying. Lincoln stared at the door for a while, as his hand slowly raised up to knock. But he didn't, and a few more minutes after that, did Lincoln drop his hand and walk away.

Opening the door, he went into his room and closed it before leaning on the door and sliding down to the ground. As he sat there, he couldn't help but still hear Lucy's sobs.

THIS ISN'T OVER!

LINCOLN STOP!

ANY DEMANDS OR POINTS HE HAS RING HOLLOW!

Hollow...Never before has he hated a word.

* * *

Author's Note:

I invite people to reread chapter one and two if they feel that Lynn deserved all of that.


	13. Sound and Fury

Well, last chapter saw the most reviews that I have ever seen for a single chapter (that I even bother checking). It was also the most sharply divided I have seen with at least some reviewers sympathizing with Lynn while others thought that Lincoln was in the right. So I went and did my usual shtick, talk with as many people as I could, responding to them as best I could, and engaging in a lot of debate about the ethics of the situation.

If it didn't appear that way to those people, let me take a moment to apologize if I seemed like I was personally attacking you. I know you have legitimate reasons for feeling about the way that you did about the situation. And if you felt offended, please do know that wasn't my intention, and I'm sorry for doing so.

As for the guests that couldn't get a personal answer from me, let me reiterate my stance: I do believe that Lynn should have some kind of comeuppance. I do not believe that the treatment that she received from Lincoln was right or just in any sense of the word.

In short, you can say that I had ethical problems about what Lincoln had done, while a lot of people were okay with it morally.

With that said, on with this raging dumpster fire on wheels that currently heading towards the very inconveniently placed oil refinery.

 _ **Beta Reader: InquistorJeeves**_

* * *

" _ **LYNN!" Four year old Lincoln shouted as he waddled up to his six year old sister Lynn before she could go into her room. "Can we go play outside today?"**_

 _ **Lynn smiled as she took Lincoln's hand, the two now walking down the stairs. "Of course, what do you want to play?"**_

" _ **Can we practice punching? Because Ace Savvy can punch people, so if I want to be like Ace Savvy, I gotta learn how to punch people good too!" Lincoln said excitedly, showing off his impeccable logic.**_

" _ **Yeah, that Ace Savvy guy can punch real well, but…" Lynn spotted something on one of the living room sofas and walked over, bending over to pick it up.**_

" _ **But what?" Lincoln asked, walking over as well and trying to see what Lynn was doing.**_

" _ **If you want to learn how to punch like Mr. Savvy, then shouldn't you at least…" Lynn turned around, holding an old blanket. "Learn to dress like him? Every wannabe Savvy should have a cape like him, right?"**_

 _ **Lincoln's eyes shined like stars. "YEAH!" He screamed before turning around.**_

 _ **Slightly laughing at Lincoln's display, Lynn draped the blanket over his shoulders, before turning him around and tying the corners together, forming a knot in front of his neck. Looking at his new cape, Lincoln whooped as he started to run around the room, letting his new cape flap behind him. Lynn watched this display for a while, before calling to him.**_

" _ **Come on, bro. We're burning daylight!" She said as she opened the door to the backyard. The caped Lincoln ran out the door in record time. Quickly running down the steps, he paused at the last one, bending his knees as far as he could without falling over, his cape pooling behind him. He then jumped as high as he could, ascending higher and higher, before his upward motion finally stopped.**_

 _ **For a moment, he hung in the air, before he fell back to the ground.**_

" _ **Sheesh," Lynn commented as she walked down the stairs. "Let's first work on your punching before you try learning to fly."**_

 _ **Lincoln nodded.**_

" _ **Alright, let's see how you punch first. Take up your stance."**_

" _ **My stance?" Lincoln asked, his head tilted to the side.**_

" _ **Yeah, your stance. Let's see how you think you should punch."**_

" _ **Okay…" Lincoln answered, with the trust that a child would give to a higher authority. The white haired child lowered himself, taking up the stance that he once saw Ace Savvy do in one comic. Lynn took one look at Lincoln's stance, before scoffing.**_

" _ **Wow, Lincoln, what is that?" Lynn said, trying her best to hold back her giggles.**_

" _ **My stance." Lincoln answered back.**_

" _ **Sure...is that one of Ace Savvy's moves?"**_

" _ **...No, it's my stance."**_

" _ **Alright, alright." Lynn said, seeing that Lincoln was being stubborn. "Either way, it ain't right. Here, let me move some things, and then hold it alright?"**_

 _ **Lightly grasping Lincoln's limbs and moving them into position, she stepped back and admired her handiwork.**_

" _ **You see this, Lincoln? Now that's a fighting stance."**_

 _ **Lincoln frowned as he kept the stance in place. "It feels weird." He complained.**_

" _ **It's fine. You just need to get used to it." Lynn said. "Come on, try punching now."**_

 _ **Lincoln punched the air a few times, also trying to keep the stance as well. After a while, he stopped and looked back at Lynn. "Are you sure this is right? It doesn't feel right."**_

" _ **Hmm…" Lynn hummed as she stared at Lincoln. Lincoln clearly wasn't getting it. He had the form, but it was like trying to fit a square block in a circle hole. After a while, she came up with an idea.**_

" _ **Okay, Lincoln, how about let's try something else. Instead of trying to punch the air, you try punching me? That way, you can get a better feel for punching people."**_

" _ **Won't that hurt?" Lincoln asked.**_

" _ **Yeesh, like anything from you will hurt me." Lynn said offhandedly. Seeing that Lincoln was still a bit uncomfortable with the idea, Lynn quickly thought of another idea.**_

" _ **Okay, how about this? While you punch me, you pretend I'm a bad guy?"**_

" _ **Like Wild Card Willy?"**_

" _ **Yeah… Wild Card Willy. Think you can do that?"**_

" _ **Yeah...Think I can."**_

" _ **Okay, take up your stance." Lincoln got back into the stance, and Lynn stood in front of him, hands outstretched and presenting a target for Lincoln to punch. "Ready...GO!"**_

" _ **BAD GUY!" *PUNCH***_

" _ **Good!"**_

" _ **BAD GUY!" *PUNCH***_

" _ **Not bad!"**_

" _ **BAD GUY!" *PUNCH***_

" _ **Okay, a little rough there!"**_

" _ **BAD GUY!" *PUNCH***_

" _ **Hey! Take it easy!"**_

 _ **Lynn took a step back as Lincoln's punches started to actually hurt her hands. Pulling them back, she was about to call out to Lincoln when something impacted against her gut. Letting out spittle, she fell to the ground, only for that something to land on top of her and pin her legs to the ground.**_

 _ **Looking up, she saw Lincoln, eyes now bloodshot and full of fury, all focused on her.**_

" _ **BAD GUY!" The first punch left Lynn seeing stars.**_

" _ **BAD GUY!" The second punch woke Lynn up.**_

" _ **BAD GUY!" Lynn managed to block the third one, holding up her arms.**_

 _ **Lincoln snarled before grabbing one of them and pinning it to the ground. Lynn struggled to lift any of her pinned limbs, but another punch to the face forced her to cover up with her other hand.**_

" _ **BAD GUY! BAD GUY! BAD GUY!"**_

 _ **Each punch was punctuated with a yell of those two words, the impacts now going more than skin deep. As each flash of pain happened, Lincoln seemed to grow older in front of her, his angry expression becoming more and more murderous. Finally, eleven year old Lincoln was in front of her, grabbing her head.**_

" _ **Lincoln...stop please…" Lynn weakly whispered, her one free hand raising up, a final plea of mercy as she grasped the side of Lincoln's face. Lincoln savagely shook it off.**_

" _ **No." He said before Lynn's vision was filled with his thumbs coming towards her-**_

"MPPH!" Lynn quickly put up her hands to cover her scream as she woke up. Looking around in the dark, she saw Lucy perfectly still, indicating that she was still asleep. Passing over Lucy's form, her eyes stuck to where the door would be, and every part of her body froze. Minutes passed before Lynn allowed herself to relax.

For a minute, she thought that... **he** might have woken up, and then he would be angry, and then he would tell, or even just finish the job… She was lucky that she managed to come up with the excuse that she fell down a hill and landed on some rocks when everyone asked why she had bruises.

Laying there in the darkness, staring up at the ceiling, she could only hope that sleep could come quickly again, and that the dreams that greeted her would not be filled with those hateful eyes or those accusing words again.

* * *

*Knock* *Knock*

Like a chick breaking out of the eggshell, Lincoln slowly opened his eyes. Blinking slowly, he raised a hand to rub the eye crust away before blinking again. Looking down at himself, he groaned as he realized that he hadn't changed out of his old clothes from yesterday. Looking towards the window, and realizing that sunlight was now shining through, he put all the things together.

"Crap, fell asleep." Lincoln whispered to himself as he covered his eyes with his arm. Looking over to his side, he saw the bag with the pill inside. Sitting up and getting off the bed, he grabbed the bag off the ground and held it in his hand.

He had been hoping to take a small nap, and then take the drug in the middle of the night. Though, looking around, he obviously overslept. Just then, more knocking suddenly occurred. Looking at the door, Lincoln quickly grabbed the bag, opened his drawer as quietly as he could, and stuffed it behind his pile of socks. Making sure that everything looked in place, he opened the door, just to see Luan standing there, about ready to knock again.

"Well, well. Looks like 'Count Lincula' set his alarm clock wrong, huh? Ha! But seriously, you better get ready, Linc. School gonna start soon."

Before Lincoln could respond, the walkie-talkie strapped to Luan's side suddenly buzzed. "Goalie and Princess on the move! I repeat, Goalie and Princess on the move!"

Luan looked down before looking behind her, before quickly pushing Lincoln back into his room. Lincoln didn't resist as Luan closed the door in front of him. Waiting a few moments, he could hear the stairs creak as people walked down it. As the creaking eventually petered out, Luan opened the door.

"Path is clear, Lincoln."

"Thanks." Lincoln said as he picked up his toiletries and made for the bathroom. But before he made it one step out of his room, Luan grabbed his shoulder.

"Actually, how about we talk for a bit, Linc?"

Lincoln stared at Luan for a while, before setting his toiletries back down.

"Okay, what do you talk about?"

Luan took a deep breath. "Okay, what is up with you, Lincoln? What's going on with you?"

Lincoln made an effort to look unfazed by Luan's sudden question. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean, you still have problems with Lola, and now after yesterday, you want us to separate you and Lynn?"

Lincoln nodded. "Yeah, that's basically it."

Luan frowned. "Okay, so when are you actually going to try to make up?"

"...What do you mean by that?"

"I mean, when are you going to make up with Lola and Lynn? The protocol doesn't work unless you actually put some effort into it."

"Wait." Lincoln held up a hand. "Wait a minute. Are you telling me that the Sister-" "Sibling. We had to change it for you." "Sibling Fight Protocol actually requires me to talk to Lola and Lynn and solve our problems?"

"Yeah, how did you think it worked?"

"...Seriously?"

"Yeah."

Lincoln stared at Luan. "You have got to be kidding me. I was honestly expecting the protocol to be magic. Just wait a few days and Lola will just forget everything."

Luan gave a confused look back at Lincoln. "Is that how you think the Protocol works?"

Lincoln shrugged as he gave Luan a look of utter unrepentance. "Can you blame me? When I left you guys that night you were all ready to kill each other. Then when I came back, apparently everything was fine, everything was cool, and nothing in the house was out of place, almost like there wasn't a fight in the first place."

"Well, isn't it obvious?" Luan retorted. "Lori and Leni were going to make up when _you_ started to say all that stuff, and then they were back at it. Once you gave us some time and space to calm down, we realized how silly we were being and talked it out."

"Okay, let you stop you there, Luan. One, the fact that was the first time either of them heard of those things means that they didn't want the other person knowing. If you don't want the other person knowing, then maybe you shouldn't say it in the first place. Second, the fact that they immediately went back to fighting despite 'going to make up', I say they were pretty far from that point."

"Lincoln," Luan rubbed her face. "Either way, the point I'm trying to make is that the Protocol isn't designed for this. We designed it for two people, not three people."

"Well, sorry." Lincoln said as he picked his toiletries up again. "I have problems with Lynn, and frankly, I've got more important things to worry about than Lola's tantrum."

Luan paused for a moment as she digested Lincoln's words. "I'm sorry, what did you say?"

Lincoln looked over his shoulder, not even bothering to turn all the way. "As I said, I have problems with Lynn, and frankly, I got more important things to worry about than Lola's tantrum."

Luan's eyes widened. "Lincoln...you can't mean that."

Lincoln continued walking until he reached the bathroom. "Which one? The one about Lynn or the one about Lola? Either way, both are true, and if you guys have problems with that, either keep calm and carry on, or find a better system. Seriously, I swear you guys make this thing so obtuse just to screw with me."

Going inside, he shut the door, ending the conversation.

* * *

*Tick* *Tick* *Tick*

Lincoln glared at the clock, practically begging it to go faster. In front of the classroom, Mrs. Johnson was rattling on about something that was connected to Math. Stealthily looking around as he raised up his textbook, he silently thanked the fact that he sat pretty deep in the back.

Looking towards Clyde, the black boy in a striped long shirt didn't acknowledge for a while as he hurriedly wrote down notes from Mrs. Johnson's lesson. However, he soon tensed, feeling someone gaze at him. As Mrs. Johnson turned around again, writing something on the chalkboard, Clyde looked up from his notes and quickly looked around the classroom.

As the two's eyes met, Lincoln watched as Clyde's curiosity faded away, his eyes radiating confusion as if he was staring at a familiar face that he didn't recognize off the bat. As Mrs. Johnson turned back to the class to explain what she had just written on the chalkboard, Clyde turned back to his notes. Just as Lincoln was about to turn back to his textbook, he felt the gaze of someone else. Looking up, he quickly looked around only to see Ronnie Anne staring at him with an indescribable look on her face.

Noticing that Lincoln was staring back at her, she quickly turned away. Seeing both of their reactions, Lincoln suppressed a sigh as he went back to watching the clock. Honestly, it wasn't surprising how both of them reacted to him.

" _Dude, you stole Principal Huggins' credit card information? That's...That's juvenile delinquent behavior!"_

" _Yeah, what gives, Lincoln? I thought I told you not to take it too far."_

However, he didn't know what worried him more: the fact that his only friends were starting to doubt him, or the fact that he didn't feel that broken up about it. Another thing to hold against...her.

"Lincoln? Excuse me, are you there?"

Snapping out of his thinking, he saw Mrs. Johnson looking at him along with the rest of the class turning around to stare at him.

"Uhh...Yeah?"

"Well...Lincoln, do you know the answer to the question I have written on the board?"

Quickly looking up at the chalkboard and what the teacher had written on it, Lincoln looked down at the textbook in his hands. It took only a second for him to realize that he had the book open to the wrong section, and that he had forgotten what section they were on anyway. He contemplated desperately flipping through the pages to find the section, before deciding that it wouldn't be worth the effort.

"Umm...24?" Lincoln guessed.

Mrs. Johnson sighed as the class, minus Clyde and Ronnie, roared with laughter. Once, Lincoln might have blushed red as everyone had a good laugh at his expense. Right now, Lincoln stoically bared the storm of derision.

He had more important things to worry about.

"Lincoln, please pay more attention, and that goes for the rest of you. Just because some of you exercised your rights, that doesn't excuse you from learning the material, alright?"

Lincoln mentally sighed, crossing Mrs. Johnson off the list of teachers that he would need some form of pay back on. After coming back to school, he quickly found out that there were some teachers that tended to paint the protesters with the same brush as Balor. He may not be able to do anything at the moment, but he assured himself, there was going to be a reckoning.

At that moment, the school bell rang, and everyone started to pack up. Lincoln took a deep breath as he did the same. After a whole lot of waiting, the bombshell was finally going to hit.

"Class, before you go, don't forget that the superintendent has called a school wide assembly at the school auditorium."

As the rest of the class groaned, Lincoln didn't visibly respond as he exited the room. Not even waiting for Clyde or Ronnie, he walked briskly through the halls, until he came across the auditorium, benches set up and already starting to fill up with students. He quickly found himself a seat on the edge and sat down. As people began to fill in the auditorium, Lincoln noted that no one had gone up to him and asked to sit down.

"Hey, Lincoln."

Lincoln looked away from the front, and saw Ronnie and Clyde, awkwardly standing there.

"Go ahead. I don't bite." Lincoln replied. The two passed by Lincoln's vision and sat down, taking the spots next to him. Lincoln didn't bother talking to them, his attention still stuck to the front of the auditorium.

Finally, as it looked like the majority of students were seated, Principal Huggins came out from the side and walked to the podium, tapping the microphone and nodding to himself when the sound came through. Clearing his throat, he began to talk.

"Greetings, Royal Woods Elementary. As you know, the last couple of days have been...difficult to say the least, mostly because of the protest that was held by some of the students here among us. Let me be the first to say, that while the school staff and faculty are sympathetic to their grievances, the actions that have been put on display are frankly irresponsible and are in serious need of discipline. So much so, that the superintendent himself felt the need to come in person and actually address the matter. Without further ado, I introduce your district's superintendent, Bruce White."

As soon as Principal Huggins stepped aside to allow someone else to step to the podium, another man appeared from the side. He wore a brown suit that looked to be decently tailored and put together, a black silk tie tied around his neck. He looked to be a man that starting to look his age, having brown hair with his temples starting to become grey, and held himself like one used to authority. As he passed by Principal Huggins, the man gave him a nod, who stepped back in deference.

After that little display, as well as the difference between Huggins and the man, it was obvious who the man was. All the students clapped with polite deference, while Lincoln sunk in his seat, a frown on his face as he refused to clap for the man that ruined his plan. Hearing clapping next to him, he glared at Clyde, who noticed and slowed his clapping until his hands were on his lap.

Superintendent White stood behind the podium, waiting for the applause to die down. As the last bits of clapping finally stopped, Superintendent White began.

"Thank you very much for that introduction, Principal Huggins. And thank you students for your warm welcomes. And I must say, your school seems to be very in order. Let me tell you, I don't think my shoes have squeaked as loudly on anyone's else floor."

A few weak chuckles rose up from the crowd.

"Anyways, I'm sure you're all worried about what will happen to club activities after the demonstrations last friday and monday, and especially after the irresponsible actions of Balor yesterday."

As soon as Balor's name was heard, everyone started to whisper among themselves.

"Yes, before you ask, allow me to be perfectly clear. While I do not have full confirmation, I do have strong suspicions that the one known as Balor is currently in this room...right now."

Superintendent White as well have shot a gun in the air for all the impact that his words had. Almost immediately, everyone's heads were on a swivel as they looked around the room, their whispers turning into open conversation about this new piece of gossip. Their eyes couldn't help but shine as they wondered who on earth Balor could be, now a student among them.

Lincoln was pleased to see that no one gaze lingered on him. At least, not a student's gaze. Looking up from the chaos that was rapidly becoming the student body, he saw Superintendent White casually looking through the crowd. Then his eyes met Lincoln.

The two locked gazes, Lincoln refusing to back down. Superintendent White simply smiled, as if he was viewing a novel work of art that still fell below his standards, before looking away and waiting for the din to die down. Lincoln restrained the bubbling anger that laid within.

"I say this because Balor's actions are inexcusable and require discipline soon. So I am asking you, Balor, to stand up and accept responsibility for your actions, or suffer the consequences."

Not one person stood up. Lincoln's own butt remained at the seat as he felt sweat start to pour down his back. He mimed yawning so he could discretely wipe his face. Letting his hand fall from his face, he could see Superintendent White pretending to look like he was scanning through the crowd for any people standing, all the while keeping him still in view. Lincoln already gave him his answer.

'Do your worst.'

After a few more minutes, Superintendent White sighed.

"I see. Well, I'm afraid that due to the actions of Balor as well as the grades problem that I have observed, I must call for Principal Huggins to suspend all extracurricular activities indefinitely. And let me be clear, the definition of extracurricular activities is what I would consider all activities that are not directly tied to the classroom."

Silence reigned over the auditorium as Superintendent White said those words. Lincoln's own eyes widened as he forced himself to consider the ramifications of what Superintendent White said. Now it wasn't just the clubs that just had their activities stopped, it was now everyone. Any dance, fundraiser, or any other activity that wasn't solely related to the classroom was now effectively dead in the water.

It was in the midst of his pondering that Superintendent White dropped another bombshell.

"However, if Balor would come forward, or if anyone has any information on who Balor is, Principal Huggins can deliberate on whether to continue the suspension."

The tension before now barely held a candle compared to the restrained tension now, as Superintendent White presented a way out for everyone. Everyone except him. Yet there was something weird about the way that Superintendent White was operating. After all, even if he didn't have proof, he had at least some suspicion that Lincoln Loud was connected to Balor.

So what was his game plan?

As he thought about what exactly Superintendent White was planning, someone tugged on his shirt. Looking at the person, Clyde nervously smiled, his palms starting to get sweat on his sleeve. Ronnie Anne looked at him, clearly asking him what to do.

Before he could ask what was up, he saw someone looking at Clyde. Seeing brown hair and a scowl, Lincoln recognized Chandler, and immediately realized what Clyde was getting nervous about. Looking around, he confirmed his suspicions.

Everyone was looking at their nearest protest participant, and more than a few had their eyes set on Clyde. Remembering what the person at the podium said, he froze. Superintendent White had offered a way out for everyone.

And he had effectively declared open season on everyone who looked like they had even the smallest idea who Balor was.

The rest of Superintendent White's speech might as have been white noise to Lincoln. As the Superintendent finally dismissed the students and went to the back, the three immediately got up and made haste towards the exit, barely staying ahead of the deluge of students also trying to get out as well. Quickly looking back, he could see Chandler trying to keep them in view only to fail as the crowd got in his way.

The three managed to make it to the exit doors before everyone else. As Ronnie Anne opened the door, Lincoln stepped back. Ronnie and Clyde both looked at him, a little confused at what he was doing.

"Ronnie, can you go make sure that Clyde gets home safe? I need to check up on Lucy first."

Without waiting for their response, Lincoln immediately turned away from them. Now that Clyde was out of the building, people couldn't use that avenue of information right now, so they would probably move down to the next possible source of information. And who could possibly know more about Balor than the person that Balor called up to his interview?

"HEY, LARRY!"

Snapping out of his worrying for his sister, Lincoln realized that he was surrounded by students with Chandler and his cronies at his side. Chandler fiercely scowled as he walked forward, closing the distance rapidly. Lincoln didn't budge, already seeing the intimidation tactic that Chandler was going for. Chandler got up in Lincoln's face and stared at him, Lincoln refusing to show anything.

"So...You know Balor, right?" Immediately, a rush of whispers erupted from the crowd, eyes full of hope staring at him.

Lincoln nodded, as if someone was talking about the weather. "Yeah, I might."

"Then do you know who he is?"

Lincoln huffed through his nose. "Are you kidding me? He usually never takes off his mask. Heck, even when I met him, he never took it off. And I'm pretty sure you'd know a kid with that thick of an accent."

Chandler scowled hard, as the crowd started to murmur discontentment. "Are you sure about that?"

Lincoln silently nodded. But before the crowd could disperse and Chandler and his cronies could walk off, someone pushed themselves through the crowd. As she saw who was in the middle of it, she couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

"Gasp. Lincoln, what are you doing?" Lucy said as she came to the forefront, fully pushing through the crowd.

"Lucy, I should be asking you that same question. Come on, let's get out of here." Lincoln said as he started forward. However, Chandler shoved him to the side.

"Hey, you're that girl that was on that interview with Balor. Do you know him?"

To everyone else, Lucy's expression stayed the same. To Lincoln, he could see her expression sag a bit.

"No, I don't."

Chandler scoffed. "Come on, you must have met him. Otherwise, why would he waste time with a freak like you?"

"HEY!" Lincoln snarled as he shoved Chandler away, putting himself between him and Lucy. "BACK OFF, SHE DOESN'T DESERVE YOUR CRAP!"

The crowd actually backed up a bit, surprised by Lincoln's sudden aggression. Lucy herself even seemed unsettled for a bit. "Lincoln…"

Chandler, looking a little surprised, soon donned a smirk. "Well, well, look at Larry Loud here. Think you're a tough guy now, huh? Just because you know Balor?"

Just as Lincoln looked ready to rise up to Chandler's taunting, someone pulled on Lincoln's sleeve. Looking down, he saw Lucy, her usual deadpan expression slightly off as she tugged on his shirt. Immediately getting Lucy's intent, he forced himself to calm down as he let himself be pulled away by Lucy.

"HEY!" Chandler shouted, seeing Lincoln walk away. "I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU!"

"Well, I'm done with you. Good day to you, Chandler." Lincoln replied as he walked away, not even bothering to turn his head to give his response directly. Then he heard a snap.

Someone grabbed him from behind, ripped him away from Lucy, and slammed him against the lockers. Pain erupted from his back, and a groan spilled from his mouth. Looking at his assailant, he saw the large guy holding his shirt, not giving him much room to move. Beside him, he could see Chandler and his other crony about to ask him something else. On the other side, he could see Lucy looking scared for him.

But he mostly saw the guy in front of him, and moved to make him regret his mistake.

Lincoln reared back his head as much as he could, before headbutting the kid square in the face. As he did so, he felt something flatten against his forehead. As the kid let go, Lincoln swiftly reared back his fist and punched the kid in the face as well, sending him crumpling to the ground. Through his rage, he felt something overextend in his wrist, but moved past the pain.

All in the span of seconds.

Taking up a fighting stance and trying not to be affected by his possibly injured wrist, he waited for his opponent to get up.

"AUGH!"

As the kid got up, Lincoln's eyes widened at the sight of the kid's face. It was like his nose had been converted into a faucet, blood now pouring everywhere. As soon as the kid revealed himself, everyone screamed in shock at the sight of the red plasma.

Snapping back into reality, Lincoln felt something drip down his forehead. He reached up to wipe at it, only for his wrist to radiate pain. Using his other hand, he wiped at his forehead and looked at his palm. Blood.

Now that the danger was past, the kid still screaming, Lincoln held his wrist gingerly. He looked around, the sight of something indescribable could be seen in the eyes of his classmates as they stared at him. Looking at Chandler, the brown haired kid actually froze. Looking back at Lucy, he paused himself as he saw that Lucy had actually taken a step back.

Finally, he felt air flowing against part of his teeth. Reaching up, he felt his lips now frozen in the form of a toothy smirk. Wow, he must have been quite the sight.

Lincoln stood in place as he heard the rest of the faculty came to investigate.

* * *

Author's Note:

Yeah, so that whole dream sequence was inspired by the beatdown that Kratos gave Poseidon in God of War III. That's important.

Also, song time. Look for Asura's Wrath "In Your Belief" English Sub.


	14. Do The Right Thing

Okay, I didn't mention last chapter, but I SURPASSED 100 REVIEWS! WOO! CHALK THAT UP AS A FIRST! And hey, while we're at it, let's celebrate this fic having double digits in published chapters! Because I'm sure if you looked at my past multi-chapter stories, it's truly a miracle. And hopefully, I can keep this train running all the way to the end.

Also, just as a heads up, I'm envisioning 6-7 more chapters, including this one. Two of those chapters might even be a double release, but that's right now wishful thinking.

Finally, guest review responses!

Guest 1: Does Lincoln still have hope for the future? Can he stop messing things up for himself? In the words of a famous literary figure, "wait and hope."

With that said, on with this...flaming meteor of pain.

 **Beta Reader: InquisitorJeeves**

* * *

"There you are, Mr. Loud." The school nurse said as she stepped back to inspect her handiwork. Lincoln looked down at the bandage wrapped around his wrist.

"Now, let me go ahead and get you an ice pack, and then you can meet your parents at the principal's office." She said, before turning around and walking towards the cooler unit.

This allowed Lincoln to start thinking about what had happened 45 minutes ago. After he had floored Chandler's goon, it was sheer chaos, until Principal Huggins appeared. Organizing and calming everyone, he got the school nurse to come over and evaluate everyone's condition. Without even taking too long, the school nurse concluded that Nathan (apparently that was his name) needed to go to the hospital for more serious medical attention. Meanwhile, Lincoln's own injury was a grade one sprained wrist, just some mild tendon damage that could be healed up as long as Lincoln didn't do any serious activity with it.

That was probably the only good news he had at the moment.

Lincoln knew that he had screwed up pretty hard. Thinking about it, he had accidently aimed his headbutt lower than he should have. Instead of hitting the forehead like how he had done before, he accidently hit the nose. And now, Principal Huggins felt the need to call his parents and tell them about the incident. Even as he was thinking, they were waiting in the office, having told Lori to drop the rest of his sisters off at home.

His sisters…

If he was honest, he wasn't bothered, not at all. Even if familiar feelings were starting to rear their ugly heads again, he made sure to squash them with brutal efficiency. And yet, the look that Lucy gave him at that moment, how she took a step back. The idea of it was unbelievable, impossible, inconceivable. And yet, there was no other way to interpret it.

Lucy had been scared of him. And every time that he saw her expression…

" _ **LINCOLN STOP! PLEASE!"**_

 _She_ appeared, tears flowing down her face as she tried to cover herself with one hand, her pleas and screams echoing in his ears. He didn't understand, why was he even being reminded of that? He knew what she had done to him! As far as he was concerned, she didn't deserve any sympathy, and certainly not his…

Yet…

"Mr. Lincoln, I know that this may be difficult for you." Lincoln looked up at the school nurse, as she gave him an ice pack. "But do try to take this as a lesson, and strive to handle future situations like that better."

Lincoln didn't respond as he put the ice pack on top of his wrist and leaving the school nursing room. Taking a deep breath, he walked towards the direction of the office, with all the grace of a condemned man heading for the guillotine. Finally standing in front of the principal's office, he took a deep breath before opening the door. Walking past the secretary, he opened the door leading to the Principal's room.

Then he paused as he saw who else awaited him.

"Ah, Lincoln Loud, I presume? Why don't you take a seat over there?" Superintendent White greeted as both Rita and Lynn Loud Sr. looked back at him, White's genteel expression contrasting with the incredulous faces his parents were wearing. Lincoln didn't respond as he took the only empty seat in the room, which happened to be right in the middle of his parents. Fun.

"Superintendent White, can you please let us handle this? We assure you that Lincoln isn't normally like this." Rita pleaded.

"Yeah." Lynn Sr. added. "Go ahead and ask any of his younger sisters. They can vouch for him!"

"Please relax, Mr. and Mrs. Loud." Superintendent White said, holding out his hands in a placating gesture. "I understand your concern. I have already gathered the story from testimony from all the students that have witnessed the incidents, and barring a few testimonies to the contrary, a majority of witnesses agree that Nathan had been the first to act aggressively, grabbing Lincoln by the shirt and pinning him to the lockers. Lincoln probably panicked and did something that he saw on TV, and Nathan was unfortunately injured as he did so."

Though there was still some fear in his parents' eyes, there was still some visible relief over Lincoln not having been the one to throw the first punch.

"Still, the seriousness of Nathan's injury cannot be understated. For your role in the incident, I'm sure that a three day suspension from Thursday to next Monday should be sufficient enough, once I discuss it with Principal Huggins."

At that moment, Lincoln felt the need to speak up.

"Shouldn't Principal Huggins be the one to decide that? Where is he by the way?"

"I offered to watch over his school for the afternoon while he went home early. Otherwise, are there any more questions?"

He and his parents had none.

"Good, you should probably receive a phone call regarding an actual sentence this afternoon or next morning. Also, Mr. and Mrs. Loud, do you mind if you let me talk with your son privately? I know that we've had our own talk, but I would like it if I could talk to Lincoln personally."

Agreeing to that request, the two left the room. Before he closed the door behind him, Lynn Loud Sr. looked at Lincoln.

"Lincoln, do know that we'll be having a long talk about this when we get home, understand?"

Lincoln silently nodded. As Lynn Loud Sr. closed the door, the atmosphere between Superintendent White and Lincoln changed. Lincoln let out a bit of the ire that he had for Superintendent White, while the man in question simply smiled a bit deeper as he opened up the file on the desk.

"So, at least we meet in person, Lincoln Loud. Or do you prefer Balor?"

"What do you want?" Lincoln asked.

Superintendent White simply looked confused. "Whatever do you mean by that, Lincoln?"

"Why are you doing this? You have your ideas of who I am, so why haven't you told anyone else? It's not like you had no time to tell anyone, since you got plenty of times. Like today at the auditorium, or in front of my parents. Heck, you could have told Principal Huggins at any time you liked. So what's the game that you're trying to play here, huh?"

Superintendent White sighed.

"Well, if I had to pick an official reason, it is because my accusations are merely that at the moment, accusations. It's not like you have confessed to anything officially, so my charges don't really have any merit."

With that, the Superintendent put his hands together in front of him, his mouth hidden behind his hands as he looked forward. No doubt if he was wearing glasses, the glare would hide his eyes from sight.

"But I suppose there are more reasons than that, Lincoln. First, I am curious about you. After all, why would you do this?"

"Breaking Nathan's nose?" Lincoln replied.

"No, not that. I imagine that was the heat of the moment, and you unfortunately aimed lower than you should have. Also, I recommend that you shouldn't headbutt people, it is quite dangerous. If I recall correctly, a professional wrestler once used a flying headbutt as his finishing move. I believe when they did an autopsy on the man after his murder-suicide," Lincoln cringed. "They concluded that the man's brain condition was that of an man in his 70s with advanced dementia. And the man was in his forties!"

"Well, I did it once, it's not like I'm planning on making it a habit."

"Even so, another professional wrestler managed to headbutt another man so hard, he accidentally gave himself a hematoma. Even if it is once, you could give yourself a very serious injury if it happens, and you still have your entire life ahead of you. No need to have something so small affect the rest of your life."

"...Was anything you said in the last minute actually relevant?" Lincoln asked, unsure when this conversation needed professional wrestlers.

"Relevant to your life, but let's move on if you wish. What I meant to say is why did you become Balor? As far as I can see from your record, you come from a decent household, no previous traumas or tragedies recorded in your personal history, no contact with any outstanding individuals, save for your…" Superintendent White paused for a moment to check the file. "Four years old college graduate sister?"

"She can invent some crazy stuff." Lincoln confirmed.

Superintendent White gave a huff of disbelief. "I'll believe it when I see it with my own eyes."

"Moving on, I also see on your personal file that you actually interned under Mr. Florence 'Flip' DiMaggio during the school's internship program. Then on your report and assessment afterwards, you then completely failed to report any of Mr. DiMaggio's dissatisfactory work conditions for his workplace and his employees. It is only after Balor's intervention that Mr. DiMaggio was able to face justice for his infractions. Tell me, was that truly the extent of what you were going to do? Just survive until the end of the internship, and then just let someone else undergo what you have experienced? What was your reasoning for this?"

Lincoln looked away as he looked a little scolded. "I...We, that is me and Clyde McBride, thought that he had learned his lesson. I mean, we found his stuff on the tapes and we threatened to release it to the public. We really thought that he had at least learned something…"

Superintendent White looked unconvinced. "Considering that the man was caught selling drugs and alcohol to minors, I doubt that happened. Be honest with me, there wasn't anything that Flip could offer you to buy your silence? Anything at all?"

Lincoln continued looking away.

"Wasn't there a beverage that Flip offered at his establishment? They started with an F...Ah yes, Flippies! Considering what we know now, I find they sound completely unappetizing. But seeing how you're acting now…"

Lincoln realized that a bit of drool escaped the corner of his lips.

"They must have been pretty good beverages for you to let Flip off the hook. Or was it that you threatened to tell the public unless you two got unlimited Flippies and allowed to sit back while he had to do your duties as well?"

"W-Where are you even going with this?" Lincoln asking, hating himself for stuttering at the beginning.

Superintendent White sighed as he let his hands fall down and lay flat on the table, only leaning forward a bit more. Lincoln resisted the urge to lean back in response.

"How can I put this… Lincoln, do you know what I currently see in front of me? I see a child, a careless child. A child that never takes the time to think his actions through. The moment he sees that he could perform an action, he does it for the sheer novelty that he could do it, the thought never occurring to him that just because he could do it, doesn't mean that he should. I see a ungrateful child, always yearning for something though he had been blessed with so much that others wish for even a fraction of what you possess, some of those I even know personally. Even now, I can see that there is something inside of you that feels like the world owes you something for all the injustices and slights that you have suffered throughout the years. Should I be frank, I could forgive all of that, because you are a child and I have lived long enough to see children go through the stages and phases that you have gone through."

Superintendent White stood up, leaning on the desk to give him support. Standing upright, he walked over to the window and looked outside, his back turned to Lincoln. The white haired boy briefly entertained the idea of drop kicking Superintendent White through the window, before having to drop the idea. Probably wouldn't help his case.

"However, I cannot forgive both of those things when I see the third thing about you. After everything, I see that you are a child who refuses to believe in the obvious."

"And that is?"

"That all of this, all that you have done, was just for the sake of making yourself feel good about yourself."

"...What?"

"I believe you heard me, Lincoln Loud. In the end, this great crusade of yours is nothing more than a call for attention. To you, Balor must be the mask you let yourself don to strut upon your self-made stage, making a lot of noise that frankly, in the long run, doesn't even matter."

At that, Lincoln jumped up from his seat, his teeth bared as he slammed his fist on the desk. "YOU-"

"Temper, Mr. Loud." Superintendent White calmly interrupted, not turning from the window. "You should really learn to control that, otherwise it could get you in a lot of trouble that could have been avoided, such as the protest. Did you really think that was necessary? The brief suspension of club activities, as put in place by your principal, was meant to promote more classroom involvement, and thus more overall improvement in grades. It was not meant to be permanent, but now, due to your efforts, me and Principal Huggins will have to re-evaluate our position on the matter. Of course, that doesn't matter to you. What matters is that you got your movement, with you, or rather Balor at the center. Your very own 'Cult of Personality', if you will. Must be nice to have all that attention right on you, to help feed your brain that idea that you're the hero that this school deserves or whatever."

Then he turned away from the window to stare at Lincoln directly.

"But I'm afraid that this latest incident has revealed your true objectives."

Lincoln lifted his eyebrow.

"If I remember Lucy's school record correctly, a lot of her teachers, past and present, have recorded an inability to keep track of her or even knowing of her presence sometimes. There are even a few reports from her classmates, past and present, where she 'appeared out of nowhere' for them. Considering that these reports have increased from losing track of her during nap time to outright forgetting that she was there, I have a sneaking suspicion that your sister can be very hard to find at times. According to her testimony, your sister theorized that you came looking for her because you thought she would be in danger. As far as I could see, she was keeping herself out of danger when you came along. She came out because you were in danger. Such an unfortunate turn of events, unless that's _what you wanted?"_

Lincoln froze as the Superintendent accused him of that. Taking a few steps back, he accidently sat back down on his seat.

"Did you come looking for Lucy, or were you looking for a fight, for a chance to be a hero? That's the thing I find worrying about wanting to be a hero, Lincoln. In order to be a hero, doesn't that also mean that someone must need help?"

The white haired child was silent as he looked away. "So why haven't you told anyone, huh? You clearly have your ideas of me, so why are you waiting?"

At that, Superintendent White came over and knelt down until he was eye level with Lincoln.

"Lincoln Loud, did you know that my favorite superhero is Ace Savvy?"

Lincoln looked at him with disbelief.

"Yes, I liked Ace Savvy, from when Bill Buck released issue #1 when I was just a child. Granted, I don't exactly have time to keep up with the new issues. Tell me, does Ace Savvy still have One-Eyed Jack as a sidekick?"

"Yeah?" Lincoln responded.

"It's funny." Superintendent White chuckled. "When Bill Buck introduced One-Eyed Jack as Ace Savvy's new sidekick, I admit that I rolled my eyes. After all, Ace Savvy had super strength, flight, and was the savviest man alive on the planet, why did he even need a sidekick, or even a 'full house gang?'"

Superintendent White cleared his throat. "Tangents aside, the point that I'm trying to make is that Ace Savvy has been around for a long time, and frankly he should not have lasted as long as he had. I mean, he can essentially do anything and everything, so where is the tension, where is the drama? Why should we feel anything for his victories, and occasional, his defeats? Why do people still like his comics? Why do people still like Ace Savvy?"

With that, Superintendent White lightly grasped Lincoln's shoulders. Lincoln stilled.

"Personally, I believe that Ace Savvy is still popular because of his ability to know what the right thing is and to do it, no matter the cost. Though people may call him boring and uninteresting, do not tell me that people at least do not respect that. That is why I want to give you another chance, because I believe that you know what the right thing is, and if given the opportunity, you will rise up to do it."

Letting his hands fall off Lincoln's shoulders, Superintendent White stood up. "When you come back, please do the right thing. I cannot guarantee that you will suffer anymore grief, but I can promise that at least you will spare the ones closest to you."

Sitting down at the desk, he gestured to the door. "You're free to go, Mr. Loud. I'm glad that we had this talk."

Lincoln stared at him, an indescribable look on his face before turning around and leaving the office. Seeing their son come out, Rita and Lynn Loud Sr. stood up from their seats and opened the door back into the hallway. Seeing Lincoln come out, the secretary waved at him.

Ignoring both of them, Lincoln stepped through the door and continued walking forward, his feet moving forward along a practiced route towards a known destination. The sounds of his parents' feet assured him that he was going the right way, and the sound of their silence gave him precious comfort.

It was about the only thing he could be thankful for.

As the three exited the school and entered the parking lot, Lori drove up front of them with Vanzilla. Lincoln entered the van and buckled up, all the while looking down at the ground. Sensing someone looking at him, he looked up only to see Lori looking at him through the rearview mirror.

Lincoln quietly looked out the window, if only to avoid her gaze.

* * *

All her life, Lynn Loud Jr. hated to be still. Every moment that had to be spent not moving meant another moment wasted when she could have done something, even if it was something mind-numbing like bouncing a ball against a wall. In the end, Lynn Loud Jr. just wasn't one to be still.

She imagined that if a herself from a month ago somehow time traveled to this exact point in time, that her would probably be shocked at what she was seeing. At the moment, Lynn was sitting on the steps of the Loud house, scanning the streets for any sight of Vanzilla. Everything else but her eyes were so still, one could probably put her on the roof, call her a strangely colorful gargoyle, and no one would have seen the difference.

Yet, when one considered what had happened beforehand, would they be surprised?

 _Lynn walked down the sidewalk, letting her baseball bat slide on the concrete, the winds starting to bite her. Apparently, the weather people were predicting stormy weather later in the evening. The coach had wanted to get in some practice before the weather got worse, and she utterly failed at it. So badly, that even the coach took notice and told her in no uncertain terms to go home and come back when she was ready to get serious._

 _As much as she didn't want to admit to the coach, she wasn't sure when she would be ready. How could she when every single ball that flew at her was soon replaced by…_

" _ **BAD GUY!"**_

 _Lynn shivered, wanting to hug herself. Thankfully, her house came into view, prompting her to pick up her pace. Walking through the yard, and letting her baseball bat drop to the ground, she opened the door and closed it behind her as she dropped her bag next to her. Just a few more steps, she thought to herself as she climbed the stairs, and I can go to sleep and forget everything for a few hours._

" _Lynn? What are you doing out here, dude? Don't you have baseball practice still?"_

 _Lynn paused as she looked at Luna, who was coming out of the bathroom. Lynn looked away._

" _I...I wasn't feeling alright, so coach told me to go home. I'm gonna go to bed…" she said as she continued walking to her room._

 _Luna stared at her, before sighing. "Alright dude, do you just want me to tell you how the meeting went when you wake up?"_

 _Lynn stopped in her tracks as she looked directly at Luna. "Wait, what meeting? What's going on?"_

" _Right, you didn't hear about it… Look, Lincoln got into a fight at school."_

" _So are we going to meet about what we're going to do about the jerk that hurt him?" Lynn asked, while bracing herself for the unexpected news._

" _No, bro apparently broke the other guy's nose, and hurt his wrist at the same time."_

" _..." Lynn stared at Luna, unsure how to feel. "Okay, we're meeting at Lori and Leni's room?"_

" _Yeah, why? I thought you said that you were going to take a nap?"_

" _Well, I think I can wait a few more minutes before going to sleep. This is way more important." Lynn said as she walked over to Lori and Leni's room. Opening the door, she saw the rest of her sisters look up at her._

" _Lynn, what are you doing here? I thought you had practice."_

" _Wasn't feeling well enough to practice. Still feeling well enough to see what's going on here." Lynn said as she moved into the room and took a seat. Luna then came through and stood in front of the assembly of siblings._

" _Alright, since Lori is not here, she let me go ahead and start this meeting without her." Luna took a deep breath as she tried to think of the best way to broach the topic that hung overhead like a growing storm cloud. Finally, she sighed as she just decided to lay it out there._

" _Okay, does anyone have any idea what is going on with Lincoln?! I mean, he broke someone's nose, and then punched him in the face! Just what's happening with Lincoln?"_

 _No one had any words, before Luan spoke up._

" _Hey, Lynn, what were you guys doing? You guys were usually gone together sometimes."_

 _Lynn looked at the rest of her sisters, and debated telling the rest of them the secret training sessions that she had with Lincoln. After a while, she took a deep breath, hoping that Lincoln would not rat her out. "I was showing him how to box, like throwing a proper punch and stuff like that…"_

" _Linky hurt his wrist, I'm pretty sure you don't hurt yourself if you know how to punch." Leni interjected._

" _Yeah, are you sure that you taught him correctly?" Lola asked._

" _Probably taught him wrong as a joke." Lana snidely said._

 _Lynn felt a blow to her pride and her feelings._

" _If it makes it any better, I saw that the guy grabbed Lincoln by the shirt and pressed him against the wall when he did it." Lucy offered._

 _Lynn saw the lifeline that Lucy was offering and grabbed it. "That makes sense. I didn't exactly teach Lincoln what to do when someone grabs you and you have to punch at such a close distance. He must have misjudged the distance, or something like that…"_

" _Okay, dudes, enough of that! We can't be distracted, we're trying to figure out what the deal is with Lincoln, right? So when was the first time that Lincoln really started to act out like this?"_

 _Lola spoke up. "Sunday! When he...you know…"_

 _Luna nodded. "That's a good point…"_

 _Lynn frowned as she thought about it. There was something about Lola's idea that was starting to set her off._

" _Now that I think about it," Lisa said as she stood up and looked right at Lynn. "Wasn't there an incident between you and Lincoln on Saturday?"_

" _N-No way!" Lynn blustered, the pit of doom starting to consume her insides. "Me and Lincoln made up for that one! I mean, why didn't he call for the Sibling Fight Protocol then?"_

 _Lisa rubbed her chin, now looking a bit forlorn. "That's a good point. Fiddlesticks, then I'm at a loss. Unless something happened during the night… Did any of you happen to see anything? I had stayed up in my room working on a few experiments. The only time I believe I saw him was when he brought up my dinner to my room…"_

 _At that, the pit of doom expanded into a black hole, nearly stealing Lynn's breath away. That must have been the time that Lincoln discovered what Lisa was working on. If Lisa worked out what had happened, then the whole thing was going to come out._

 _So why was it that in that black hole in her gut, there was a bit of relief of that? Still…_

" _No…" "I can't think of anything…" That was the general consensus of the room, and Luna looked about ready to call it a day. Lynn bit her lip, as much as she wanted to help, she didn't want to lose anything else, and besides, she would probably screw up whatever plan they would come up with. Still…_

" _Hey, guys…" Lynn tentatively ventured. "You know...Lincoln could hide his emotions pretty well. Maybe what set him off didn't happen that weekend…"_

 _Looking around, she saw her sisters slowly digest that, before Lisa nodded._

" _That is a distinct possibility, Lynn, and possibly the only one that we can count on. Unfortunately, that means that we will need to come up with a plan on how to best extract that information from Lincoln delicately. Considering the emotional state that Lincoln is in, we will need to handle this situation with the utmost care…"_

 _Lynn quietly tuned out the conversation, until Luna dismissed everyone. Getting up, Lynn was about to leave, someone tugged on the hem of her shirt. Turning around, she saw Lucy with her eyes downcast, or at least that was the impression she was getting with Lucy looking downwards._

" _Lynn...can I talk to you in our room?" She asked. Lynn nodded, sensing the seriousness of the atmosphere._

 _Moving past everyone else, the two briskly walked into their room. Lynn sat on her bed, while Lucy sat on hers._

" _So what's up, Lucy? What's bothering you?"_

 _Lucy was silent, silent even to the point that Lynn was unnerved by it. She knew that her goth sister was a quiet person and enjoyed unsettling people. But even by that standard, there was a certain kind of feeling that hung over Lucy like a bad smell._

" _...I-I'm gonna try talking to Lincoln, if there's something bothering him."_

 _Lynn zeroed in on the fact that Lucy stuttered. "So you're scared of saying something wrong?"_

 _Lucy shook her head._

" _N-No. I-I'm… I'm scared of him."_

 _The Athlete blinked, trying to absorb Lucy's words. "You're… scared of Lincoln? Why?"_

 _Lucy looked away. "Y-You wouldn't believe me."_

 _Lynn swallowed the lump that was starting to form in her throat. "Try me."_

 _The Goth looked at her, before speaking again, practically a whisper._

" _I...I didn't say this at the meeting, because… I didn't want to believe. When Lincoln fought...when he broke the other person's nose, he turned around… and he was smirking."_

" _...What?"_

" _H-He was smirking…" Lucy's voice hitched. "He...He was actually happy that he hurt someone. He rejoiced in someone's suffering, at someone's pain… And I couldn't help but think 'who is this?' This...He can't be Lincoln. Just...What's happening to him? I don't understand…"_

" _Lucy, breathe. Just breathe…" Lynn said as she stood up and wrapped her arms around Lucy, who looked like she was starting to hyperventilate. Rubbing Lucy's back, she couldn't help but feel like dirt._

In the end, she volunteered to sit outside and watch for Vanzilla. Yet, Lucy's words still haunted her, if only because of what they meant to her.

Lincoln, despite the drug having wore off already, was getting worse.

Now that she was forced to think about it, Lisa did say that it was still an experiment for rats, and that even for her, the drug wasn't ready yet for human experimentation. Could what Lincoln was going through right now a side effect he was going through? Lynn bit her lip, if only she had been paying more attention…

Looking again to the end of the street, Lynn saw the familiar shape of Vanzilla coming near. Getting up, she went through the door and into the living room. All the gathered sisters minus Lisa looked up at her, the tension in the room palpable.

"THEY'RE COMING!"

"Alright, dudes! You know the plan, make the place as comforting as possible! Don't crowd, don't push! We have one shot, dudes!" Luna ordered as everyone got in position. Then the rocker turned to Lynn and Lola.

"You guys go ahead and hide, okay?" As Lola nodded, hurt yet understanding, and walked up the stairs, Luna gestured to Lynn.

"Lynn, could you go get Lisa? She went up to her room."

Lynn silently nodded as she started climbing up the stairs. Even as she did so, she couldn't help but turn her head and look at the rest of her sisters preparing to put their plan into action, all to try to figure what was up with Lincoln. And here she was going up the stairs, practically sitting on the answer.

The sporty girl gave no evidence of her inner self-loathing as she crossed the hallway and knocked on Lisa's door.

"Lisa, Lincoln's here."

"Understood, sibling. I will be out soon."

Waiting in front of the door, Lynn thought about asking Lisa about possible side effects of the drug before trying her best to scrub that idea out of her mind. After all, there was no way that Lisa would dismiss her question as just 'curiosity'. And if she added that with how Lincoln probably asked the same questions the last time he visited Lisa, Lynn was sure that the super-genius would hardly miss the coincidence.

She could hear Lisa's steps now.

Part of her didn't want to risk it. She still had so much more to lose: her sports, her… her…

Lisa opened the door before quizzically looking at Lynn, still standing in front of the door. "You should go ahead and hide."

Lisa was practically offering Lynn a life line. Leave now, don't say a word. Just leave, and you can keep everything you have left… except…

"Lynn, please move."

Lynn thought back to all the trophies that she had earned over the years, all sitting in that trophy case downstairs. She thought back to all the time that she had spent meticulously cleaning each and every one until they all sparkled. She thought back to all the hardships that she put herself through, all the sacrifices that she made, all the good times that she had with her friends.

"Lynn, I know you want to help, but you'd do that best if you stay out of the way."

It was at that moment that Lynn realized that she would melt down all her trophies, say that she took steroids during every single championship game, ban herself from all sports, and be called a fraud the rest of her life. She would do it all if it meant that she could go back in time, to that moment where she palmed that extra pill…

And put it back where it belonged.

"Lisa… I know what's wrong with Lincoln."

Lisa's eyes brightened with hope. "Really, that's tremendous, sibling! What's going on with Lincoln?"

Lynn bit her lips until she tasted blood.

"I gave him your drug."

* * *

Author's Note: Well… The pain train is coming to the station, and is about to collide with the shipment of oil someone carelessly left behind.


	15. Intervention

Yep, last to next chapter is essentially what you call in proper literary terms 'Rock Bottom.' Let's get this final act into motion.

First the guest reviews, which there is only one.

1: Well...You'll get your answer now.

 **Beta Reader: InquistorJeeves**

* * *

Lynn once heard that the eyes were the window into the soul. When she first heard that saying, she thought it was nonsense. After all, they were just eyes, nothing really special about them.

She thought about this as she watched Lisa's eyes widen, before shifting gradually into anger and frustration. Grabbing Lynn by the shirt, the four year old tried to pull her bigger sibling into the room with her, straining with Lynn's weight. Lynn went along with Lisa's implicit request, stepping into the room and shutting the door behind her. Lisa walked away for a bit, rubbing her temples.

"You are very fortunate that most of my hard implements are currently in my 'Luan Shelter.' Alright, talk. How did this happen, and when? I am pretty sure that all of my pills were accounted for."

Lynn couldn't help but blink. "You actually counted them? Then why didn't you find it out sooner? How was it that you didn't figure out that I took something until I literally confessed it to you?"

Lisa turned red as she looked away. "I...Well...Look, that is not important! Alright, Lynn, give me an accurate timeline of the events that had led to you giving Lincoln the pill."

Lynn took a deep breath as she thought back to that time. "Well, when I asked about what you were doing with these pills, I took a few of them in my hand. When you asked me to put it back, I put away three and palmed a fourth one. Then I slipped it into a glass of warm milk and gave it to Lincoln, and tomorrow was when the effects started to kick in."

Lisa stared up at her. "T-That can't be right. Y-You didn't give it to him recently or…"

"No, I gave it to him on Saturday two weeks ago."

Lisa shook her head as she walked up to a blank blackboard and spun it around, showing the other board practically filled so much with equations and numbers that Lynn's eyes already felt like barfing.

"That's impossible, could even a mouse's dosage be that effective on a human?"

Lisa's words made Lynn's thought processes screech to a halt.

"Wait...a mouse's dosage? Are you saying that I gave Lincoln a mouse's dosage?"

Lisa turned to Lynn, before nodding. "I believe you heard my musing. Yes, if you had taken from the pile that night, that was indeed the pills that I have calculated only having enough of the formula to be effective on mice. Did you think that I would testing out human dosages on mice? That would be like trying to test tranquilizer on an elephant with only the amount that would be effective on a human! Any results that would result from such a testing would be already null and void due to improper preparations, and furthermore-"

"Uhh...Lisa?" Lynn spoke up. "Not that this isn't all interesting, but I gave Lincoln a drug that apparently is a mouse's dosage. So why is he like this now?"

Lisa snapped out of her rant and rubbed the back of her head. "Sorry, you're right, got too off topic."

Turning back to the blackboard and examining the numbers closely, as if the answer to Lincoln's abnormal behavior would reveal itself, Lisa sighed as she looked back at Lynn.

"Frankly, I do not have the answer. That is the reason that I did not wish to perform human experimentation with this drug, and why I feel the possibility is a long ways away. Tell me, Lynn, what do you think a mouse has on its mind?"

Lynn, unsure where Lisa was going with this new tangent, still thought for a moment. "I guess, what its going to eat, where is it going to sleep, and who is around to help make babies?"

Lisa nodded. "Exactly, animals, for the most part, are mainly concerned with nourishment, rest, and procreation. If I fed a mouse one of my drug, it would be simple to calculate the possible changes to its behavior, since I only have to categorize any changes to those three areas… However, humans…"

Lisa shook her head as she looked back at her calculations. "Humans are much more complicated than mice. They have so many more concerns, more needs, more wants. It's not just nourishment and procreation, it's companionship and accomplishment and happiness and probably a hundred more things like that. Even basic needs like nourishment, humans can abstain from if they feel they have a good enough reason. Animals do not have that instinct for the most part, if their brain is telling them they are hungry, then they will eat. But if a human's brain tells them to eat, then they will weigh everything like calories and whether they should save something for their compatriots and…"

Lynn was about to remind Lisa that she was slipping into another tangent until she realized that there had to be something else that she could contribute. After all, the only thing that Lisa could offer were guesses at this point. There had to be something else that had to be affecting Lincoln, if the drug wasn't the only thing that was messing around with his brain. Thinking about it, wasn't there something that she heard of before?

"Hey, Lisa? Do you know that thing that happens if I took a pill that only has sugar inside, and I believe that it was medicine, and it works? What is that called? I know that it is something effect…"

Lisa looked over at Lynn with an raised eyebrow. "Looking back on your description, I say you're describing the Placebo Effect. However, I fail to see how that has any relevance…"

Lisa trailed off as she looked back at the equations, her eyes starting to light up.

"Wait a minute… Lincoln didn't know that you put the drug in the milk, right?"

Lynn nodded. "Yeah."

Lisa rubbed her chin. "That does sound like a plausible idea. It's not like Lincoln is going to go 'Hey, I'm feeling fear again, the drug must have worn off.' His thought processes must have been more like 'Hey, I'm feeling fear again, yet I still remember not feeling it, so I'd rather still pretend to not.' I'm guessing that what set Lincoln off is when he found out, which was when he visited me?"

"I would guess that?"

"Still, why would he even try to keep up the illusion beforehand? What drove him to not ask any critical questions about his new state being?"

Listening to Lisa muse about Lincoln's reasons to not ask about his new condition, she couldn't help but think back to when Lincoln screamed at her, when he was… beating her.

 _ **I THOUGHT I HAD SOMETHING! THAT I REALIZED SOMETHING ON MY OWN!**_

Thinking about it now, she could now feel something else behind the anger and the hate.

Self-loathing.

It was then that she remembered something that now seemed so long ago.

"Hey, didn't he tell you guys something important a while back, like we needed to have a meeting about it?"

Lisa looked back at her before her eyes widened, Lynn's words the metaphorical missing piece of the puzzle.

"I see. Given Lincoln's self esteem issues, it's no wonder that he chose to ignore all the signs that something was abnormal, and even now, he's choosing to pursue self-destructive choices as long as it means that he doesn't have to become his 'boring self.' Yes, it all makes sense now."

Lisa turned to Lynn and nodded. "Thank you for your time, Lynn. However, do not expect that this is the end. Do know that when this business has been concluded, and our brother is brought back from his self-destructive behavior, I will report this to the rest of the family. It is only because possible disunity might result from our other siblings learning about your misdeed and will only distract from our true objective."

"Okay…" Lynn said, knowing Lisa said despite her sister's language. "Still, there has to be something that I can do…"

"Frankly, Lynn…" Lisa spoke, a bit of the ire that Lisa now held towards Lynn starting to bleed through. "I believe you have done enough. Now go stay in your room. Me and the others will have to fix your mess."

With that, Lisa walked past Lynn, not a word more. Lynn tried to reach out her hand, about ready to call out to her, yet the words never formed, and she could only watch as Lisa walked out of view. Looking down at the ground, she forced her feet forward to get her body out of the room.

Now back in the hallway, she could already hear the sounds of Lincoln and Lucy talking, Lincoln's words certainly more sedate for the goth. Lynn felt her shoulders sink even more. Just as she was about to enter her room, she happened to look up, and see Lincoln's room, the door open just a tin crack.

And Lynn froze as she started to think about something that Lisa said not too long ago.

' _Did any of you happen to see anything? I had stayed up in my room working on a few experiments. The only time I believe that I saw him was when he brought my dinner to my room…'_

Something about Lisa's words chilled her to the bone. After all, wasn't that the exact same way that she came to know about Lisa's experiments, and how she managed to get in a position to get a pill from her? And now knowing all of that…

Was it possible that Lincoln did the _exact same thing_?

Part of her was already screaming at her to stop, to obey Lisa's subtle order to stay in her room. Yet part of her argued back. If Lincoln did have a pill, and he took it when he was clearly unstable, then how much worse could he get?

Every bit of her went numb at the idea that Lincoln could get worse. That image alone galvanized her, throwing away all doubts and fears as she slowly crept forward, tongue outside her mouth as she opened Lincoln's door farther. Taking a quick look around and confirming that no one was looking at her, Lynn closed the door, barely making a click.

All the while, not realizing that Lincoln's words downstairs were starting to sound angrier…

* * *

As soon as Vanzilla pulled up to their driveway, Lincoln was about ready to rip his seatbelt off and jump out the window if he had to. The entire trip back home had been spent in silence, and to make matters worse, he could always see his parents and Lori taking glances back at him, the clear question being asked again and again.

'What is going on with you, Lincoln?'

Lincoln forced himself to calm down, feeling their stares only feeding the anger that demanded an outlet, for something to break, so he can stand above the wreckage and look down on it, just like how Superintendent White had done to him…

"We're home." Lori called out. Lincoln immediately got his seat belt off of him and opened the door, before the strong winds closed it again. Lincoln opened it again, before it closed again, Lincoln managing to pull back his leg before his shin got hit. His scowl turning into a frown, he scooted over to the other side and opened the door, feeling a bit of relief as the door stayed open enough for him to get out.

Walking forward, trying not to mind the wind now blowing bits of his hair into his eyes, he grabbed the door knob, only for the part to come off the door. Staring at the part in his hand, his grip tightened and he was about ready to toss it away. Just then, the door opened, and the fury that powered his action went back into the boiling reservoir.

"Welcome home." Lucy said, her monotone voice sounding a bit off. Lincoln merely nodded to her as he walked past her. Hopefully, he could find some duck tape and patch up that punching bag for a beatdown session before the winds get worse. Climbing up the stairs, he reached his room and opened the door just a crack when suddenly…

"Lincoln."

Lincoln forced himself not to jump as he wheeled around, seeing Lucy already stepping back.

"What?!" Lincoln tersely said, a bit of his emotions revealing themselves.

"Can we talk?" Lucy asked. Lincoln gave a huff as he continued opening the door.

"Can it wait? Today's been… something."

"That's why we need to talk. The others want to know what happened, and if you don't let me ask…" Lucy let the unspoken warning hang in the air.

Lincoln glared at Lucy, his scowl a bit deeper.

"Fine, let's get this over with." He spat as he turned around and walked down the stairs, not even waiting for Lucy. The only sign that Lucy was following him was the small creaks of the stairs behind him.

As the two entered the living room, Lincoln finally realized that ever since he had entered the house, he hadn't heard any of the noise that usually characterized the Loud household. Looking around, he held in his sigh as he saw traces of clothing and hair behind various hiding places, with the most obvious being Leni, who had a lamp shade over her head.

His scowl turning deeper, he walked over and gave Leni a smack on the arm, a bit harder than he should have.

"...OW!" Leni yelped after a while, rubbing her arm, before remembering that she was supposed to be hiding as a lamp and resuming a still position. Lincoln wasn't having it, and practically ripped the lamp shade off Leni's head and threw it as far away as he could. When it landed not as far as he liked, Lincoln ran up and kicked it further away, stumbling a bit before he regained his balance.

He looked back at Leni.

"Next time, at least consider the idea that you're not thin enough to be a lamp. Now go behind a wall and pretend you're not here like everyone else!"

Leni froze at the sound and sight of Lincoln's vehemence, before silently nodding and going back around the wall. A few moments later, a few sniffles could be heard. Lincoln didn't acknowledge the sound as he sat down, crossing his arms as Lucy sat down on a seat next to him, her head still turned to the direction of the sounds that Leni was making.

"Lincoln… that was… harsh."

Lincoln scoffed.

"Please, Leni should know better by now." Lincoln then leaned forward. "So what do you want? I got stuff that I want to do."

Lucy was quiet for a bit, trying to think of how to best broach the subject with Lincoln. "Lincoln...is everything alright with you?"

Lincoln frowned, leaning back into the seat. "Yeah, I'm alright, Lucy. Nothing's up with me."

"Are you sure about that?"

Lincoln crossed his arms. "Is it about the fight at school today? Listen, so I aimed a bit higher than I should have. It happens."

"Not to you." Lucy knew that subtlety at this point was lost. She quietly hoped that her gamble would work before taking a deep breath.

"...That isn't you. In fact, I'm sitting here and wondering who exactly are you? I mean, I know Lincoln, and I know Lincoln would never be this rough, to be this...unkind, and he wouldn't fight and hurt someone and then take pleasure in that fact. Lincoln would never do that. You would never do that. Please, Lincoln, just tell us what is bothering you. We want the old Lincoln back, the real one…"

"...The real Lincoln, huh?" The white haired child said as he stood up from his seat, before looking around. The rest of the sisters flattened themselves against their hiding places, while Lucy sat still, hoping that her pleas didn't inspire a violent response. Lincoln didn't notice any of this as he stopped in front of the trophy cabinet, opening it up and pulling out his own trophy. Feeling the cold metal in his hands, he stared at the words that were inscribed at the bottom.

Most Improved Brother.

"You know," Lincoln said as he stared at the trophy. "When I first got this thing, I was really happy. A trophy to call my own, and you guys gave it to me. I remember it meaning a lot to me, you guys forgiving me and even giving me something I didn't deserve."

The feeling around the room felt a bit lighter, the people hearing Lincoln's words unable to not feel a bit of pride.

"But you know what, I'm looking at this thing now, and I'm looking at the words really carefully. Most Improved Brother, that's a nice title. Except… thinking about it now, I don't feel like that."

Saying this, he placed the trophy on the coffee table, before facing Lucy.

"I don't feel like I have improved in any way on that day. Heck, on every single day before the past few weeks ago, I have never felt like I have improved myself in anyway. Except...in your guys' eyes. In your eyes, I have improved, I have become a better brother. So in that case, that trophy is pretty accurate. 'Most Improved Brother', indeed."

He leaned in closer to Lucy, the goth leaning back.

"And that's all I am."

With a burst of energy, Lincoln grabbed his trophy, and following what he had seen Lynn do a thousand times, threw it at the trophy cabinet. The trophy cut through the air, and smashed into the cabinet, the sound of glass shattering roared like thunder throughout the household. Everyone of the sisters came out of their hiding places, shock and horror on their faces.

Then Lincoln looked back at Lucy.

"You miss old Lincoln, huh? You miss 'the real Lincoln', huh? Well, newsflash for you, Lucy." Lincoln leaned in close, a growing part of him relishing in Lucy trying to create space between the two of them.

"I HATED 'OLD LINCOLN'!" Lincoln screamed, Lucy throwing up her arms to protect herself. "IF THAT IS SUPPOSED TO BE THE 'REAL LINCOLN', THEN SOMEONE GET ME A LIGHTNING ROD SO I CAN HOLD IT OVER MY HEAD AND PRAY FOR A LIGHTNING BOLT! THAT LINCOLN COULDN'T EVEN LOOK IN THE MIRROR AND SEE SOMEONE THAT HE ACTUALLY LIKED!"

Lincoln quieted down, allowing a few moments for his throat to stop aching. Lori came out, putting herself between Lincoln and Lucy. A few moments passed, before Lori dared to break the silence.

"LINCOLN! WHAT THE HECK IS UP WITH YOU?!" Lori screamed, confused and a little scared of her little brother.

"What's up with me? WHAT'S UP WITH ME?!" Lincoln quickly looked around the floor and spotted the trophy. Grabbing it off the ground, he ignored the glass poking into his flesh, and held it out to Lori.

"Most Improved Brother… MOST IMPROVED BROTHER! Not 'MOST IMPROVED PERSON!' or 'MOST IMPROVED LINCOLN!'. Just Most Improved Brother… BECAUSE THAT'S ONLY THE ONLY THING THAT'S MATTERS ABOUT ME, BEING A BROTHER, AND NOTHING ELSE! SO YOU WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME, LORI?! I'LL TELL YOU WHAT IT IS!"

Lincoln pointed at Lori and Lucy, before sweeping it around, letting the finger point at the rest of his sisters.

"YOU GUYS, YOU GUYS ARE WHAT'S UP WITH ME! BECAUSE THE ONLY THING THAT MATTERS TO YOU IS 'AM I A GOOD BROTHER'? BUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A GOOD BROTHER, AT LEAST ACCORDING TO YOU GUYS?! WELL, LET'S COUNT THEM DOWN, HUH?"

"NUMBER ONE: A GOOD BROTHER HAS GOT TO MAKE TIME FOR HIS SISTERS, BECAUSE A BROTHER'S SISTERS ARE HIS ENTIRE WORLD! NO NEED FOR A BROTHER TO HAVE INTERESTS OR HOBBIES THAT HIS SISTERS DON'T SHARE, BECAUSE THAT MEANS LESS TIME FOR A BROTHER TO SPEND ON HIS SISTERS! LESS TIME TO LISTEN TO THEIR TERRIBLE JOKES AND PUNS AND TELL THEM THAT THEY'RE ACTUALLY FUNNY! LESS TIME TO ASSURE THEM THAT YEAH, THAT GUITAR SOLO OF THEIRS WILL SURELY MAKE THEM A ROCKSTAR! LESS TIME TO SIT THROUGH ANOTHER PAGEANT REHEARSAL AND TELL THEM THAT THEY'VE PRACTICED ENOUGH AND THEY'RE TOTALLY GOING TO WIN THAT REALLY IMPORTANT COMPETITION THAT PEOPLE ARE TOTALLY GOING TO REMEMBER IN A WEEK!"

"L-Lincoln, I think you've made your point…" Lisa weakly said.

"NUMBER TWO: A GOOD BROTHER HAS GOT TO BE WILLING TO TAKE THE FALL FOR HIS SISTERS, EACH AND EVERY TIME! THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF THE BROTHER IS ONLY SECOND TO HIS SISTER!"

Lincoln glared at Lucy. Lucy immediately knew what Lincoln was going to say next, and shook her head rapidly. Lori wondered what Lucy was doing.

"So tell me, Lucy." Lincoln's voice was starting to get raspy from his constant screaming, but even Lori was struck by the clear satisfaction in his voice. "Do you actually miss me, or are you worried that I won't be there to cover for you the next time you clog the toilet because you don't want people to find out that you like to read Princess Pony?"

Lori blinked, along with the rest of the sisters that were there. Lucy was the one that clogged the toilet with a Princess Pony book, and Lincoln took the blame for her instead? The oldest sister then looked down, only to see Lucy curled up, trying to make herself smaller and her shoulders shaking. While Lori could admit to not being the best sister around, she could at least argue that she was a good enough to one to know that Lucy still had a bit of pride in her gothness. And for Lincoln to callously reveal something that Lucy clearly didn't want people to know…

The comments that were made came back to her, and she bit her lip. "Lincoln, I think you said enough…"

"Three." Lincoln interrupted her. "A good brother always forgives and forgets. No matter how many times his sisters mess things up for him, a good brother always forgives them as many times as he needs to."

Lincoln looked around the room, at the wide-eyed sisters, and sneered.

"Seriously, I can count on two hands the things you guys did for him. And if we don't count the times you guys did it because you screwed something else for me, now it looks like I only need one hand for that. On the other hand, to count all the things I've done for you guys, both out of the goodness of my heart and slash or because you threatened me, I'M GONNA NEED MR GROUSE'S HANDS ALONG WITH OUR PETS', JUST TO COUNT!"

Lincoln breathed heavily, feeling his throat aching in protest.

"So there, all the ways to be a good brother to the Loud Sisters. All that work, and the best you'll be seen by such a group of constantly needy, over controlling, busybody, know-it-all, sadistic, selfish PRICKS - is just their toy. Just their toy that they play around with, and cuddle, and snuggle, and take care of, so they can show it around and say 'See, I can be a good person. Look how well I treat my brother.' Brother. You people make that title worthless."

Walking away from the group, no longer caring about how they felt, he then looked at the trophy case, the glass having shattered, but the trophies inside still intact. He stared at it for a while, before quickly grabbing the edge of the back of the cabinet and pulling. As the cabinet moved a bit more, some more space emerged, letting Lincoln switch positions and brace himself to the wall and start pushing. Soon gravity did the rest, the cabinet falling down in a great crash, a tumult echoing throughout the household.

Examining the damage done, he nodded to himself, before walking over and grabbing his trophy off the coffee table. Examining it for a bit, he scoffed, before turning around and chucking it through the window, the glass like a gunshot throughout the house. Not even bothering to turn around to acknowledge his sisters or the damage he caused, he climbed up the stairs.

Reaching the top of the stairs, he turned around and blinked when he saw that his bedroom door was slightly open, and someone was rustling around inside. Clenching his fists, he marched forward and threw open the door. As soon as he saw who was inside, he growled her name.

"Lynn… What are you doing here?"

Lincoln couldn't help but relish how Lynn looked back at him, like a deer caught in the headlights. She nervously chuckled as she began to spout some excuse as he quickly looked around the room. His eyes zeroed in on his drawer, where the shelf where he hid his pill. Looking back at Lynn, he saw that she was always trying to keep one hand hidden behind her back.

"What's that in your hand?" He asked. Lynn paled.

Jackpot, he thought as he closed the door behind him, Lynn now trying to create distance between them.

"What's in your hand?" "Lincoln, please…"

Lincoln snapped and slapped Lynn on her cheek, a flare of pain as he had slapped with his arm. As Lynn stumbled and fell to her butt, Lincoln was immediately on her, trying to pry her hand open, having an idea of what was in it. Lynn, disoriented, had enough sense to keep her hand clenched.

"Open your hand!" "NO!" "Lynn, I swear if you don't give it back, I am going to hurt you!"

"Lincoln, please!" Lynn pleaded, tears starting to fall. "This isn't you. Please, just calm down and we can help, Lisa can help!"

"I DON'T WANT YOUR HELP!" Lincoln screamed, slapping Lynn again as he stood up. He hurried out of the door, wrenching the doorknob off in his hand. Closing the door, he wrenched the other doorknob off and carelessly dropped the two doorknobs on the ground.

Making a beeline for Lisa's room, his teeth became more exposed as he became more and more convinced of the plan that was forming in his head. **They** wanted 'old Lincoln'; worthless, useless, gutless Lincoln. Well, if that was what they wanted, then he might as well go, since they didn't want him here, and frankly he didn't want to be here anymore either.

The door slammed against the wall as Lincoln walked in, eyes quickly targeting what he wanted. Walking up to Lisa's desk, he grabbed a handful of pills and stared at them. This should be enough, right?

Before he could do anything else, a gasp happened behind him. Turning around, he saw Lisa and the rest of the family slack jawed at what they're seeing.

"Lincoln, honey." His mother slowly said. "Please put the pills back down."

"Lincoln, please." Lisa said as she emerged from the crowd, daring to walk closer. "You are currently mentally and emotionally unbalanced. Please, just calm down and I can have you sorted and back to normal."

Lincoln didn't respond as he put the pills in his pocket. He didn't see family in front of him.

He saw obstacles.

Lincoln rushed forward, shoving Lisa to the side, and charging into the crowd. The whole group went down like a group of bowling pins, letting Lincoln rush through. Something grabbed Lincoln's leg, making him trip and fall to the ground, his wrist throbbing for a bit as it hit the floor. Lincoln didn't notice as he growled, simply kicking at at whoever grabbed him until they let go.

It wasn't long before his world was consumed with shouts and limbs, all trying to keep him there. Lincoln roared as he became a whirlwind of motion, slowly making his way forward. If a hand grabbed him, he wrenched the fingers back. If a body appeared in front of him, he shoved it to the side roughly. He even once punched forward and felt flesh on his fist.

All the while, his vision got redder and redder as his ears began more and more filled, not by the sounds he heard, but the one mantra hammering in his heart.

I'm not going back I'm not going back I'm not going back I'm not goingbackI'm not going back I'mnotgoingbackI'mnotgoingbackI'MNOTGOINGI'MNOTGOINGBACKI'MNOTGOINGBACKNOTGOINGBACKNOTGOINGBACKNOTGOINGBACK

Finally, something grabbed on his leg. Growling, he freed his leg, before turning around and winding up to punt the body back. As he went loose-

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Something cut through Lincoln's rage as he forced himself to stop the kick, practically hearing the squeal of a car brake. His rage momentarily stopped, he looked at the person he was about to kick.

His rage practically spilled out of him, leaving him empty.

There, covering her face, tears wetting her cheeks, was Lily.

Lincoln breathed heavily as he looked up, at the group that watched him warily and in pain, physically emotionally.

Luna held her shoulder. Luan held her fingers. Lola nursed a red mark on her cheek. His dad groaned on the ground, curled up into a ball. And that was just the ones he could see clearly. Each and every one of them stared at him.

And Lincoln never felt any smaller.

He took one step back, then another, before he broke out into a run, running down the stairs. In his haste, he tripped over something, falling down the rest of the flight and landing on the ground.

"AUGH!" Lincoln screamed as he held his wrist, having held out his hands to catch his fall. Hearing them call out in concern, Lincoln picked himself up from the ground, and took the fastest way out of the house he could see. Charging as fast as he could, he threw himself through the broken window.

Landing on the porch, he groaned as he felt glass dig into his back through the fabric of his shirt. Taking stock of himself, he saw that a few scratches and lacerations were on his forearms, his throat ached from all the screaming, and his wrist throbbed in pain. He forced himself off the ground anyway.

"LINCOLN!"

Lincoln didn't bother acknowledging the people at the window as he starting running away from the house. He didn't know or care where to run, just hoping that place was far from the house. On any other day, he would have had no energy to power his running.

Today, at this moment, shame and regret powered his feet as the house behind him got smaller and smaller…

All the while, he didn't even noticing the winds were getting stronger.

* * *

Author's Note:

So when you fall to the ground/And finally get back to reality/And no one at all is around/How does it feel to be the enemy?

-"Enemy" Sevendust

I would also recommend Metallica's "King Nothing". Pretty on the nose there.

So here's part one. Hopefully you guys aren't too scared away for part two.


	16. Realization

Well, here we go. The end of this story is within three to four chapters. Let's hope that I can stick the ending.

Also, regarding guest reviews:

ExMarkSpot: Yes, the pills are indeed having an effect on his head.

 **Beta Reader: InquistorJeeves**

* * *

"..." Lynn knelt in front of the door, unable to open it. Not that she would even have the strength to open it in the first place.

She had heard everything that had happened outside her door, and she could only scream and bang her fists on the door in a vain hope to make everything stop. The only thing she probably managed to contribute was to make a bit of background noise that no one listened to. Even the silence provided little comfort for the athlete, as it already told Lynn everything that she needed to know.

Lincoln had left the house, and hurt their family.

And it was her fault. It was all her fault. And the only thing she could do about it was cry.

"Lynn."

Lynn looked up, forcing herself to wipe her tears away with her arm. Lucy stared at her from her perch next to the now opened air vent. Though her stance would look the same to everyone else outside the family, Lynn knew enough about her goth sister to know her subtle tells.

Lucy was depressed, and not poetically so.

"Let's go." With that, Lucy immediately ducked into the vents. It wasn't long before Lynn joined her sister in the vents as well.

As the two crawled through the vents on the way back to their room, Lynn couldn't help but stare at her sister's back. There was something that was clearly bothering Lucy, and soon Lynn's need to do something made her act. She couldn't do anything for Lincoln at the moment, so she seized the chance to do something for Lucy.

"Lucy, what's wrong? Are you okay?" Lynn asked.

Lucy hesitated for a moment, before continuing on. "I'm fine." Her short reply did nothing to assuage Lynn's guilt and concern.

"Lucy, don't lie to me." Lynn said in the most calming voice she could make. "I know you. We lived with each other in the same room for nearly all our lives. Please…"

Lynn hated how small and pathetic her voice got at the end, though her plea seemed to work as Lucy stopped. A few moments passed before Lucy gathered up her knees and hugged them. Lynn sat next to her and waited, knowing that Lucy would talk about what was bothering her soon enough.

"I messed up."

Lynn blinked. "What?"

" **I messed up**." Lucy said firmly as she hugged her legs tighter, her voice reflecting her tension. "I shouldn't have brought up his 'old self.' I was there, when he confessed all those things about himself in the lunchroom, and I had forgotten about them until now… Am I a bad person, Lynn?"

"What do you mean by that?" Lynn said, looking closely at Lucy.

"Am I a bad person, Lynn? What Lincoln said really hurt… but I don't know if because it was because of Lincoln saying those things about us...or because I cannot deny them. I'm trying, I'm looking around in my memories for anything that proves them wrong, but it feels like every time I find one time that proves them wrong, I can easily find three more times that proves them right. And now thinking about it, when I was talking to him, I think I wanted things to go back to normal...even if it meant Lincoln would go back to being miserable…"

Lucy laid her forehead on her knees and sniffled. "Not that it matters. I messed up, and Lincoln is gone…"

With that, Lynn came closer and hugged Lucy. Lucy didn't reciprocate, but didn't push her away.

"Lucy...it does matter. You did your best… and I'm sure that's all everyone could ask for. And don't worry...We'll find Lincoln...We will."

As she reassured Lucy, Lynn couldn't help but feel a bit hypocritical about telling Lucy all of this. After all, Lucy tried to fix her relationship with Lincoln. Lynn, on the other hand, didn't even put any effort into it and just resorted to using a shortcut.

'And look where it has gotten us.' Lynn thought bitterly.

"...We better keep moving." Lucy said, giving a quick hug before turning around to crawl towards their room. As Lynn began to do the same, she remembered something that Lincoln had said, and how Lucy had been affected by it.

"Hey Lucy!" Her goth sister turned to acknowledge her.

"I don't think you're weird for liking Princess Pony. I mean, okay, I admit I find it a little weird, but… I don't know, knowing that you like something that seems so...unexpected makes you seem more… real." Lynn grimaced as she could feel none of the sentiment she was trying to convey in her words. "Sorry that I can't say what I want to say better."

"No need." Lynn looked up, only to see that Lucy hadn't turned around to look at her.

"I mean that it's not important. The Princess Pony thing, I mean. Right now, what matters is getting Lincoln back home."

Lynn nodded. "Yeah. Of course."

"Though that reminds me… What were you doing in Lincoln's room in the first place? You were supposed to stay in your room, yet you were in Lincoln's room. What were you hoping to do in there?"

Lynn thought about trying to lie, before giving up the thought. Lynn knew Lucy, and Lucy knew her. There was nothing that she could get past her.

"I was hoping to find where Lincoln was storing his own stolen pills in his room."

"...And how did you know that Lincoln was even affected by Lisa's pills?"

"...I gave him some…"

"...I see."

Two words already told Lynn how Lucy viewed her. The two traveled in silence, before they came out into their room. As the two walked out and down the stairs, Lynn noticed Lucy subtly trying to walk faster than her, trying to put more distance between them. Lynn tried not to let her disappointment and hurt show on her face.

It would be just what she deserved.

As the two entered into the living room, Lucy broke off from her. Lynn didn't mind as it allowed to see the rest of her siblings cleaning things up and trying their best to tape up the broken window with garbage bags. Looking at the TV, she found the reason why everyone was acting weird.

Storm Warning In Effect.

Seeing that the windows were either too close to her other sisters or broken, Lynn went into the kitchen to check outside. As she entered the kitchen, she saw her mother talking on the phone, utterly focused on what the person on the other side was saying. As she glanced outside, confirming the winds looked very strong, she listened to what her mother was saying.

"Yes, Lincoln Loud, he is eleven years old, white hair, chipped teeth. You can't miss him."

"..."

"I don't know what the drug he's been taking is. All I know is that it was something from his little sister's room."

"..."

"I'm telling you, I don't know what it is. It isn't something his sister is taking, it's something his sister made."

"..."

"I know it sounds unbelievable, but please. My son was acting out at the house, and I know he'll probably act out at you guys. Please, don't hurt him."

"..."

"I know you wouldn't do anything on purpose. It's just…"

Her mother sniffed, and Lynn realized that she was crying.

"I should have seen something like this. I should have known that my son is taking drugs. I should have…"

"..."

"Where would he be? Only places I can think of is the arcade, the comic store... I already tried calling all of his friends' houses, but they haven't seen him…"

Of course they haven't seen him, and Lynn had a sneaking suspicion that Lincoln wasn't at either of those places either. She was sure Lincoln had enough of his wits around to know that if you didn't want to be found by your family, then you didn't go to where they think you would go. And even then, both of those places were way too far away for Lincoln to run to. Lincoln had been way too physically inactive before she started training him, and she doubted that a week of training was enough to make him into Usain Bolt.

So gathering all of that together, where would Lincoln go?

Lynn snapped out of her musing as her mom turned off the phone and laid it on the table, staring off into the distance. Then she sighed as she let her face fall into her hands. Lynn stood there for a while, before coming over and patting her mother on the back.

"Mom...Are you alright?"

"I'm...I'm fine, sweetie." Her mom said hurriedly, trying to maintain a brave face for her daughter, wiping away the tears that had been building up. Looking at Lynn, her mom motioned her over. Lynn came closer and her mother encircled her with her arms, hugging her tightly. Lynn returned the hug.

Who knows when the next time she would even deserve a hug would be?

"I...I...Did you see anything, Lynn? Did you have any idea that your brother was a drug addict?"

"No." The lie slipped from her mouth like velvet, ripping out a bit of her heart as it did.

"...I should have known. I should have known…" Her mom murmured as she shook her head. Lynn frowned as she patted her mom's back and leaned back to look at her.

"You couldn't have. It was like one day, and he suddenly breaks a guy's nose. It wasn't like there was anything before that."

"But there was…" Her mother insisted. "I know that you and Lincoln were fighting, but before that, he was different. He always seemed tense, tired, like a coil that was either going to spring up… or spontaneously explode."

Lynn tried not to show her discomfort at that imagery. But before she could talk further, a great ruckus erupted from the living room. Lynn and Rita barely turned their heads to see what was going on before they registered the noise as angry shouting.

"ADMIT IT, YOU FED LINCOLN DRUGS FOR YOUR EXPERIMENTS, DIDN'T YOU?!"

The two looked at each other before they let go of each other and entered the living room. Arriving at the scene, they saw Lola being held by Luna, the rest of the sisters around the room and staring at the scene, while Lori handed a floored Lisa her glasses back. After putting her glasses where they belonged, Lisa glared at Lola.

"What? That is absolutely absurd. I didn't feed our brother drugs for any experiment. I had already deemed the drugs too dangerous for human experimentation. Lincoln had gotten into the drugs on his own and is currently loose in the community. Getting him back safe and sound should be a our prime concern, rather than who fed to him in the first place."

"SPOKEN LIKE A GUILTY PERSON!" Lola accused.

"Yeah, even if you didn't give Lincoln your drugs, you sure didn't help him get better!" Lana shot back, standing aside her twin.

"ALRIGHT, ALL THREE OF YOU, CALM DOWN AND GET AWAY FROM EACH OTHER!" Lori shouted as she put herself between the three, her eyes switching between Lisa and the twins. Yet, as her eyes made another pass, Lynn could already see the indecision in her eyes.

Lori, and the others, were already debating who to believe and who to back. The atmosphere in the room was quickly turning into a storm, threatening to destroy everything. Lisa tried to look resolute, yet there was a look of fear at the tempest that was forming around her.

Lynn wanted to ignore Lisa. She didn't know how Lola came to the conclusion that Lisa actually gave Lincoln the drugs, but it presented a chance to just let Lisa take the heat. After all, Lisa should have been more careful, she should have been more aware of who was handling her drugs. She paid her price already. She already lost Lincoln, Lisa, and Lucy. Why did she have to lose more?

"I'm not to blame for this predicament. YOU HAVE LYNN TO THANK FOR THIS MESS!" Lisa shouted as she pointed at Lynn. The rest of the sisters turned to look at the sporty sister, expecting some kind of sputtered denial.

Lynn simply looked down at her shoes and let her silence speak.

"Lynn?" Luan asked haltingly. Lynn didn't respond, already feeling their gazes on her, the internal dam that was holding back her incoming breakdown starting to crack. She already wished for everyone to turn away just so she could go.

But before she could, another voice came from the kitchen door. "Junior?"

If it was possible, Lynn would have hanged her head lower. However, it wasn't long before another pair of shoes entered her view, and she felt a pair of hands rest themselves on her shoulders.

"Junior."

It was just one word, but it was a command and a request at the same time. Tentatively, Lynn raised her head to look at her dad. She saw what she expected in her dad's eyes: disappointment and confusion. There was also a gentle coaxing, a wish to know why she had done this.

And with that, the last remnants of the dam that kept Lynn's feelings in collapsed. The struggle to keep her tears in her eyes were only a formality as they fell down her cheeks. Like water escaping through cracks in a wall, they first came as a stream then grew into waterfalls. Her hands trembled as she yearned to wipe them away, yet couldn't order her body to move the way she wanted.

'I...I…I didn't mean to…'

'I-I didn't want this..'

"I'm sorry." She whispered.

"I'm sorry." She said.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry sorry sorry sorrysorrysorry…" She cried as she hung her head, just struck by how worthless her 'sorries' were. No one commented on her state as Lynn Loud Jr. bawled her eyes out.

"Junior...please look at me."

Lynn looked up. Her dad looked at a loss for words, unsure what to say. What could be said at this moment?

"Junior...We can still fix this… I know that it looks like there is no turning back, that nothing can be fixed, be put back together the way it is… And you're right. Too much has changed. But that doesn't mean that things still can't be made right, okay? I am disappointed, but I know you, Junior. I know you're a good kid, and when the time comes, you'll know what you need to do."

With that, Lynn Sr. gave Jr. a hug before turning to the rest of the sisters.

"Alright, let's get everyone down to the basement."

"Wait." Leni spoke up. "So we're really going to let the police handle Lincoln?"

"Leni, as much as we want to help, the reality is that we cannot. We have tried, and unfortunately, a lot of the problems that he is plagued by he associates with us. We have to stand aside and let the professionals handle it." Lisa said, though with a hint of bitterness.

As the rest of the sisters started to make for the basement, Lynn made herself move as well. Her dad's words echoed around in her head, and as much as she wanted to believe in Lisa's words, she just couldn't. She just couldn't accept them.

"I know…" Leni admitted, her voice small and meek. "He helped all of us before, and we can't help him now…"

Lynn slowed as she heard those words. 'Yeah, Lincoln helped them so much in the past…'

 _The time he fought to protect them from the 'ghost in the basement.'_

 _The time he humiliated himself with that video after doing the same thing to them._

 _The time he took all the burdens upon himself so that everyone could enjoy going to the campgrounds._

 _The time he did everything in his power to get her and Lucy to make up after they had that stupid little argument._

 _The time that he gladly took the blame for clogging the toilet so that no one would know that Lucy read Princess Pony._

Each and every time that Lincoln had helped a sister passed by her, a brick to build up the dam that her emotions had broken. With every good memory, Lynn's tears dried up, a sign of the emotions inside of her being walled up again. This time, the dam was built anew, the emotions once destructive and smashing everywhere, churned inside her and filled her with energy.

Her head clear for the first time in a long while, she re-examined the information in her head. If she was Lincoln, she would go somewhere that would be within walking distance, would not be known to many people, and would offer some shelter from the storm. So what place would fit that criteria?

'Come on. I know this place.'

Lynn's eyes widened as she realized where Lincoln would probably be. It was a long shot, but she grabbed onto it with the fervor of a drowning man grabbing onto a passing life vest. The words of her father echoed in her head.

'I know when the time comes, you'll know what to do.'

'I know.'

"Junior?"

That word might as well have been the starting gun, as Lynn immediately burst from her spot, nearly smashing through the front door. Closing the door behind her with some difficulty, she ran out of the Loud House, almost falling over because of the strong winds. Adjusting herself, she ran out of the front yard and down the street before she even registered her family calling out to her.

She paid them no mind as she ran the most important race of her life.

* * *

...Everything was aching.

That was the thought running through Lincoln's head as he forced his lungs to take in as much oxygen as he could. Feeling something on his lips, he slowly lifted his hand to wipe at it. Raising his hand to his eyes, he grimaced as he wiped the remnants of puke on his pants, before letting his hand flop to the ground.

A sudden gust of wind buffeted him from the side, making him shiver for a bit as he hugged himself for warmth. Even after the breezy cold subsided into a more manageable cold, he continued hugging himself for a bit longer, before he dared let his hands fall back to his sides. He took the time to curse the fact that he didn't think of getting a jacket.

He had managed to run as far as the park before his body screamed at him to stop and thoroughly punished him for daring to think that one week of training was enough to make him Usain Bolt. There was also the matter of the storm raging around him, and as much as he wanted to say that he wasn't scared, a few objects almost hitting him in the head was enough to reconsider trying to go farther. As such, he sought refuge in the park, under the bridge in the secluded area where he beat up his sister.

His sister… When he thought about it, he remember how he used to feel a bit of vindictive joy at the memory. Now…

He tried to stop thinking about it, forcing it to stop entering his thoughts. Yet like a splinter, it pulsed and ached, making him think about it some more, forcing him to not think about it, and the cycle continued on and on, until Lincoln forced himself to think about something else. Unfortunately, it was something he still was unsure about.

What next?

He already knew the moment that his family...the Loud family looked at him like that, he knew that he had effectively lost his place among them. It was weird how a few moments before that, in that haze of red, that was all he wanted. Yet now, cold and shivering, lost and confused, there was a growing part of him that wanted to get up and go home.

But he knew he couldn't go back. If he went back, then they would force him to go back to wimpy lame Lincoln and he didn't want that. In fact…

Lincoln shoved a hand inside his pocket, and brought out one of the pills that he managed to get from Lisa's desk. Staring at it, he shoved his hand inside his pocket once more and brought out four more. Counting in his head, he had at least 10 pills in his possession, including the ones in his hand right now.

The white haired boy stared at the pills for a moment, before raising them to his slowly opening mouth. After all, one pill eventually wore off in about a week for him, right? Then taking four of them at once should mean that the drug should work at four times the strength, which could mean four weeks.

Or, Lincoln stopped himself for a bit, what if he took all ten at the same time? Could that make it permanent? Still, as he was about to put the pills inside his mouth, he could see everyone still staring at him in horror, in shock, in a macabre version of an emotional rainbow that left him stunned, stopping his hand.

Snarling, Lincoln tried again, only for the same image to pop up in his head. He did this one more time, before giving up. Sighing in derision, he shoved the pills back in the pocket and hugged himself again as another gust buffeted him.

Why did he even care what they thought of him still? They wanted to turn him back into a wimp. They just wanted the wimp back. They didn't actually care about him, they just wanted their punching bag back. So why, why did he care?

Frankly, anything was better than having to go back to being wimpy Lincoln. **Anything…**

Lincoln tried to ignore the pit in his stomach as he thought this. Peeking out from under the bridge, he glared at the darkening sky, hoping that the storm would pass soon and he could continue on his way. To where? He didn't know, but it had to be better than just staying under this bridge.

Sighing to himself, Lincoln hugged himself tightly as he closed his eyes and tried to go to sleep, if just to pass the time.

"Lincoln!"

Lincoln opened his eyes as he looked around. For a moment there, he could have sworn someone was calling his name. But that's impossible, no one would know that he was here…

"LINCOLN!"

...Except one.

Lincoln pressed himself against the wall he was leaning on, trying to blend in with his surroundings. Like heck he was going to be discovered by **her** …

* * *

It was a lot different, running in a storm with rather strong winds, but she managed to continue on, running on desperate hope. Hope that was rewarded as she came across a puddle of puke in front of the park entrance. It wasn't long until she came across the same clearing that Lincoln took her to. Suppressing a shiver that wasn't due to the cold winds, and cursing the fact that she didn't think to bring a jacket along, she forced her complaints down as she focused on the thing that she came here to do.

"Lincoln!"

No response.

"LINCOLN!"

Still no response. Lynn fought down the growing fear inside of her. What was she thinking? Lincoln hated them and her at the moment, why would he respond to her? It certainly wasn't because he wasn't here, because if he wasn't here, then she had no other clues to follow…

Making her way over to the bridge, she tried leaning over to see if Lincoln was there. Though she didn't see anything, she wasn't fully convinced that the place was completely abandoned. She stood up straight, getting ready to climb down under, and if Lincoln was there, well…

SMACK!

Lynn blinked as stars encircled around her head, her body and legs suddenly feeling wobbly and unsteady. Some logical part of her brain noted that the wind must have picked something up and smacked it right on the side of her head. A haze started to darken her senses as she noticed a ringing in her ears.

Then her foot accidently found the edge.

Her weight shifted, and Lynn felt herself falling slowly, until the air around her suddenly became water. Lynn could only sink lower and lower as she unconsciously tried to breathe water. As she did, some part of her head started to scream at her.

 **WE'RE BREATHING WATER! WE'RE GOING TO DROWN! DO SOMETHING!**

Lynn didn't do anything. She couldn't do anything. Soon the haze became a darkness, and Lynn was lost to the world.

* * *

Lincoln blinked once, then twice, before getting up and looking over the spot where Lynn fell into the river. He waited, and waited, and waited. When bubbles were the only thing that suggested that a person was in the river and wasn't coming up, Lincoln came to a conclusion.

Lynn wasn't coming up immediately for air. Something must have hit her on the head and knocked her unconscious. If he didn't act now, Lynn was going to drown.

If he didn't act now, Lynn was going to drown.

 _IF HE DIDN'T ACT NOW, LYNN WAS GOING TO DROWN._

Why?

Lincoln felt like he was physically struck by his reaction.

What?

Why should we?

...Seriously? Are we actually considering this?

She is a selfish brat that took us for rubes. Why should we?

 _Because…_

 _Lynn and the others ready to go ham on 'the bully'..._

 _Lynn and the others confronting their parents for him even when he fantasized about being an only child…_

 _Lynn, him, and the others sitting around in the basement, telling stories about why they loved the house, because even if it was old and creaky and full of leaks, it held still so many memories._

 _Many good memories…_

Lincoln jumped.

 _Because I just realized I don't hate them that much._

 _He stared at the trophy case, filled with so many trophies that belong to his sisters, and knowing he would about do anything for one of his own…_

 _He stared at the rest of them hanging around the deluxe inflatable pool that they bought, before remembering the dinky little pool that he wanted all for himself._

 _He stared at his sisters like a bunch of peasants asking him for coins as he turned his head and ignored them, wanting his limo ride all to himself._

SPLASH!

 _I just hate me that much._

Opening his eyes in the water, he soon narrowed them as he tried to find Lynn. Spotting her body, Lincoln swam towards her, trying to ignore the aches that his body was suffering from. Grabbing Lynn by the wrist with his uninjured arm, he laid her arm over his shoulder and switched the grip of his uninjured arm from her wrist to her waist. Looking up towards the surface, he kicked his feet towards it.

Already, he faced problems.

Lincoln knew he wasn't exactly the best swimmer, passable at best, and only really knew how to swim by himself in his swimming trunks, not trying to carry someone else while fully clothed. He had to watch where he was kicking, because Lynn's own legs sometimes floated in front of his. He was still recovering from the massive run that he did practically minutes ago, and was quickly spending the little physical reserves that he had managed to recover. Lynn's body kept slipping from his grip, forcing to continue readjusting it.

Continuing this maddening balancing act, his eyes was firmly set on the surface. He kicked harder and harder, his lungs already starting to burn and crying for oxygen. He kicked harder and harder, until-

"AHHH!" Lincoln gasped as his head broke the surface and he started rapidly filling his lungs with precious, precious oxygen. A moment later, he looked to his side, and grunted as he lifted Lynn's head above water. Looking back towards the bank, he slowly swam towards it, feeling the fatigue spread throughout his body.

Finally near the bank, he reached out with his injured arm and tried to pull himself and Lynn onto solid land. As his wrist ached, Lincoln gritted his teeth. The river only had steep edges, nothing to actually walk on. After a few moments of this, Lincoln panted, his lone arm the only thing that's keeping the both of them from sinking back into the river's depths.

He was spent.

He had nothing left.

He had used all of his strength getting Lynn out of the depths.

As soon as he let go, the two of them were going to sink to the bottom, and who knew how long it was going to be before someone discovered them.

They were going to die.

A bit of hair tickled his nose, and he turned to look at Lynn, looking like she was simply sleeping.

If it wasn't for you, none of this would be happening…

...Who the hell was he kidding?

 _Lynn might have been the one to give him the drug, but he was the one that kept going with it._

 _He was the one that concocted the pizza party just because he feared becoming obsolete._

 _He was the one that planned out his assault on Lynn with a much clearer mind than he should have._

 _He was the one to reveal Lucy's secret to their sisters just so he could feel like he had power over something._

 _He was still the same useless jerk, just with a shinier coat of paint._

 _Lynn started the fire, but he was the one to let it burn everything…_

…

Fire…

Wasn't that appropriate?

As he stewed in his self-loathing, other feelings began to make themselves known: shame, regret, _**anger**_.

'Is this seriously it? I'm really just going to let this happen? No… No. No. NononoNONONONO!'

Lincoln gritted his teeth as he felt something ignite in him. His anger and self-loathing no longer ran amok, setting fire to everything and making Lincoln feel like he was immolating. No, the fire was focused, bringing back strength and energy in his limbs that Lincoln thought he didn't have.

No... _ **what he believed he didn't have.**_

'Come on, Lincoln!' Lincoln thought to himself as he prepared himself for one more push.

'This isn't just for you! This is for your sisters, your mom, your dad, your friends! They're counting on you to get home! For once in your life-'

'WIN!'

With an wordless cry, Lincoln hoisted himself onto the bank, bringing Lynn along with him. His and Lynn's upper bodies were on the bank, their legs still submerged in the water. A few moments later, and catching his breath, he pulled himself and Lynn out of the river. Gathering Lynn in his arms, he struggled a bit with Lynn's weight, managing to get her into the underside of the bridge.

Laying her gently down on the ground, Lincoln looked Lynn over and realized that her chest wasn't moving. Placing his hand in front of her mouth and nose, he didn't feel any air coming through. Pressing two fingers against Lynn's neck, he didn't feel a pulse.

He'll have to perform CPR. God, he hoped that what Karen showed on The Dream Boat was enough.

Getting into a kneeling position, he placed both of his hands, one on top of the other, on the center of Lynn's chest. Remembering how many times Karen pressed down on the chest, he stopped as he reached the amount that Karen did and looked back at Lynn's chest. It still wasn't moving, and now his wrist was aching again.

It was a good thing the situation is dire, Lincoln thought to himself as he pinched Lynn's nose shut. Taking a few deep breaths, he leaned for a bit, counted to three, before letting his lips meet Lynn's, forming an airtight seal. He then proceeded to blow into Lynn's mouth, once then twice.

On the second breath, Lincoln felt Lynn's frame shudder. Tearing himself away, he was in time to watch Lynn cough up some water, her hacking and coughing slowly turning to sputtering. Her eyes opened to reveal unfocused pupils as she turned her head and looked at him.

"L-Lincoln?"

"Lynn…" Lincoln sighed in relief. "It's okay...You're okay…"

Still, the unfocused pupils didn't spell out good news. What to do now?"

"L-Lincoln?"

"Yeah, Lynn, it's me. I'm here, save your energy. I'll...I'll think of something." Lincoln said as he bit his lip. What could he do? They were in a secluded area, and Lincoln dreaded the idea of leaving Lynn in her current condition.

"L-Lincoln…"

Lynn reached out and grabbed him by the sleeve.

"Lincoln… I'm sorry."

Lincoln stopped in his pondering, looking down at Lynn in shock.

"...What?"

Lynn stared up at him, tears now starting to fall down her face.

"I'm sorry… for being a crappy big sister. I know...I don't deserve to be called your sister. But I don't want to lose my brother… Please don't take the pills, please…"

Lincoln stared at her. He knew that his pockets were empty, the pills probably washed away in the river. Yet he knew that if they had miraculously survived… he would gladly have chucked them in himself.

Lincoln gently took hold of Lynn's hand.

 _ **I don't want to go back, but I'm not going forward.**_

"Stay with me, Lynn. I'll think of something."

"Holy geez, are you alright?!"

Lincoln turned to look at who shouted, and felt a spring of jubilation well up inside of him seeing a police officer looking at them.

"I-I'm fine! It's my sister here! I think something hit her on the head, and I managed to get water out of her lungs!"

"Ah geez!" The officer looked behind him. "Barry, I told you we'd find them here! Call an ambulance! I'm gonna check on these two!"

As the police officer drew nearer, for the first time that he could remember in a long while, Lincoln Loud allowed himself to relax.

* * *

Author's Note: Hopefully this was dramatic enough for you guys!


	17. Prodigal Son

Whew… Alright, this and the next chapter might be weird. Hopefully I wrote them short enough that I can release them in the same week. Also, I'm still partially in disbelief that the finish line is so close in sight.

Also, hope you guys can handle a few more chapters after the last chapter. Hopefully it was climatic enough for the end of Lynn and Lincoln's character arc, because we still got the other matters to deal with.

Beta Reader: InquisitorJeeves

* * *

The basement was silent as everyone gathered in it found the atmosphere too depressing to partake in their usual activities. Luan didn't crack any jokes. Luna didn't strum her guitar. Lola's compact mirror was left alone. Lori wasn't on her phone. Lana sat as still as possible. Leni didn't complain about the dirty basement floor. Lily was doing none of her babble. Lisa quietly walked back and forth. Lynn Loud Sr. and Rita Loud were huddled around the phone and the radio, listening for the all clear.

Not much noise was coming out of the Loud House, and for good reason. After all, both Lynn and Lincoln had gone out into the storm. The family had tried to give chase, only for the doorknob to the front door to come off in their hands. By the time they managed to get out of the door, Lynn was long gone. It was the first time that the sisters heard their dad curse Lynn for being so fast.

In the end, Rita Loud had to place another call to the police, asking them to also be on the lookout for a thirteen-year-old in a red long sleeve jersey that had the number one on it.

After that, the only thing that everyone in the Loud House could do was wait and hope that things could get better.

Listening to the outside, everyone realized that winds outside were starting to die down, the howling turning to whispers. Everyone went on as usual, but with one ear firmly dedicated to the radio. They didn't know how long it took, but when it finally came, it might as well have been a trumpet horn from heaven.

"All clear, I repeat, all clear."

Like a gunshot signaling the start of a race, the Loud House roared to life, as its members started to make plans and ideas of where and how to find their wayward siblings.

"Alright, kids. Your mother and I are going to check on the van!" Lynn Loud Sr. shouted as he and his wife quickly ran up the stairs.

"I'm sure Charles could use their scent to track them down!" Lana suggested.

"Pretty sure that Charles isn't the right breed. Me, Mom, and Dad are going to take Vanzilla around the town and see if we can't find something." Lori said.

"I could also get some of my friends to see if they've seen them." Leni added, with Luan and Luna nodding in turn.

Lisa turned to Lucy, who remained silent. "Aren't you going to offer a suggestion?"

Lucy shook her head.

Just as the energy reached a fever pitch, it was all cut short when the phone rang. All eyes turned to it, before looking back at the stairs. They waited for their mom and dad to come down, the phone ringing all the same, and making everyone there sweat as no one went to answer. Finally, Lisa decided to step up, take the phone and press the answer button.

"Hello?"

"Hello, is this the Loud residence?"

"Yes, it is."

"I'm Officer Barry Horowitz, with the Royal Woods Police Department. I'm calling with an update on both Lincoln Loud and Lynn Loud Jr."

Lisa's eyes widened, quickly mouthing the news to the rest of her siblings. They all silently gasped, before motioning for Lisa to continue.

"I see. You wouldn't mind if I put this on speaker phone? The rest of my family are very concerned and would like to hear what had happened straight from your mouth, if it is possible."

"Of course."

"Kids, what's going on?" Rita Loud asked as she and her husband came down the stairs.

"The Police has something on Lincoln and Lynn!" Lana said.

"What?!" Rita reacted, while Lynn Sr. grabbed the phone out of Lisa's hands and put it next to his ear.

"Ye-" "YOUR-" "GAH!"

Lynn Sr. dropped the phone and stumbled back, rubbing his ear, as Lisa breathed easy, the phone safe in her hands.

"Sorry about that." Lisa apologized as she held the phone out for all to hear. "My father didn't know about the speaker phone."

"It's alright." Officer Horowitz said before clearing his throat. "As I was saying, I'm calling because I'm glad to report that the Police managed to find both Lincoln Loud and Lynn Loud Jr and both are now safely in the custody of the hospital. However, both had sustained injuries and had to be checked into Royal Woods Medical Center for evaluation and treatment."

With that, whatever joy they had found quickly evaporated like the morning dew against the sun.

"Excuse me? What happened?!" Rita asked, her motherly concern already conjuring the worst-case scenarios that could have befallen her children.

"From what we could gather, from both the scene and Lincoln's testimony, Lynn was hit in the head by some object hard enough that she fell unconscious. She then fell into a nearby river and sank to the bottom. As such as I heard, your daughter did breathe some water."

Whatever ire that the sisters had for Lynn quickly evaporated and was replaced by worry.

"Which part of her head was hit?" Lisa asked, her worry held in check by her logical side.

"Based on what I saw, it looked like something hit her in the middle of the head. But don't worry, I didn't see any bruising near the temples."

"Oh, thank goodness." Lisa breathed as she took off her glasses and wiped them in her shirt.

"Umm...is that bad? I mean, I know that it hurts to get hit in the head, but is that spot really that bad?" Leni asked.

"Yes, the temples are the skull's thinnest areas, and unfortunately, happened to guard arteries that supply blood to the nearby area of your brain. If enough traumatic force is applied, the arteries can be ruptured and lead to pooling of blood in the brain, resulting in possibly worsening the injury and even death."

"Oh no…" Leni replied.

"Yes, very bad. Thankfully, our sister didn't sustain any other injuries, other than a blow to the head and lung damage from breathing water."

"Yeah." Officer Horowitz replied. "Your sister is very lucky in that regard. She was also in the area where your brother was hiding. As such, your brother was able to rescue your sister from the river and administer on-site CPR. However, he apparently aggravated his wrist, making it a grade two, and the doctors had to check to make sure that he didn't infect the lacerations on his forearms. Otherwise, both Lincoln Loud and Lynn Loud Jr. are reported to be in stable condition. While Lynn might need to stay in the hospital for a few more tests which could take up to Friday, the doctors determined that if you want, Lincoln Loud could be discharged today."

"We'll go ahead and visit both of them. Thank you for keeping our children safe." Rita replied.

"Glad to serve, ma'am. Have a good day." The phone clicked, signaling that the police officer had hung up. As soon as everyone heard that, they immediately ran up the stairs to get into the van. However, as Lisa was about to join them, Lucy stopped her.

"Lucy, is there something bothering you?" Lisa asked.

"I couldn't help but notice that of all the problems that the officer listed, he never mentioned anything about drugs in Lincoln's system. I assume that's another aspect of the drug?"

Lisa nodded. "The whole thing was supposed to be an experiment, wanted to see how far I could go with the idea. Even then, I know that fear is an important part of the human psyche, and is never meant to be completely erased. I meant the drug to be a crutch in case the fear is debilitating and disruptive to the individual's quality of life. Thank goodness that aspect of the drug worked out because Lincoln frankly has enough on his plate to worry about."

Lucy didn't say anything, and the two of them hurried to join the others.

* * *

Lincoln stared up at the ceiling, laying down on a hospital bed with his cuts now dressed and in hospital scrubs. His face might as well have been carved out of stone, a blinking of his eye the only hint that his face was flesh. A while back, one of the police officers that bought him and Lynn to here nodded after hearing his testimony, before telling him that he was going to call the Loud House about their condition.

It frankly took everything he had to stay still and not try to keep running. Of all the people he didn't want to see at the moment, the Loud family… his family was practically at the bottom of the list. And while he would have said a couple of hours ago that he hated them and never wanted to see them again, the events of what had happened at the bridge forced him to admit the real reason.

He was ashamed to meet them again, after what had happened.

Looking at what he had done over the past few days with fresh eyes, he realized the anger and fear he felt were the only things that he ever managed to feel over the deeds he had done. Never once did he actually feel proud doing any of it. Everything he had done was practically worthless to him.

He essentially gave up his place among his family for nothing.

Lincoln turned his head to look at the other occupant in the room. Lynn hadn't woken up ever since the two of them had been taken to the hospital. Though the doctors assured him that all testing they had done showed that Lynn had been very lucky and hadn't suffered any traumatic brain injury, Lincoln's stomach rolled seeing Lynn as still as she was. Some parts of him still whispered their poison, hoping that Lynn would have suffered more, but each time that ugly part of him reared its head, the greater part of him ruthlessly crushed it.

It still didn't help Lincoln from feeling a pang in his heart and turn away from her, only for the vicious cycle to start anew.

"Lincoln Loud?"

Lincoln turned to regard the nurse that peeked through the door.

"Yeah?"

"Your family is here to see you. Would you like to see them?"

Lincoln stared at the nurse, weighing his options, before shaking his head.

"No, I… I don't want to see them right now. Tell them I'm okay to go with them tomorrow, but I...I just don't want to see them." Lincoln quietly looked away from the nurse, towards the nearby window. Though the strong winds were gone, the rain was now pouring down and smacking against the glass, the dark clouds overhead reflective of Lincoln's mood.

Just as the nurse was about to leave, Lincoln turned back. "Oh yeah, just in case, close the door behind you. Trust me, m-th-they can get really crazy, the ones that aren't adults. Just try not to get swallowed up…"

The nurse stared at him quizzically, before closing the door. Lincoln returned to looking out the window, starting a countdown in his head. 'Three...Two...One…'

A ruckus erupted behind the door, making Lincoln sigh at the predictability of the others. That settles it, the moment he comes back home, the others were going to read him the riot act. And frankly...it would be just what he deserved.

However, it wasn't long before he sighed again, refusing to meet the gaze of the one now standing at the side of his bed.

"Didn't I say I didn't want to see you guys right now?" Lincoln told Lucy, who stood there silently.

"Well, we wished to see you, to make sure that you and Lynn were okay."

"I think you can see that me and Lynn are doing alright and not dying any time soon." Lincoln softly replied. "You better get going before the nurse gets back here and tells the hospital that you shouldn't be allowed to have visiting hours anymore."

Lucy didn't say anything, but simply deposited something on Lincoln's bed. Whatever questions he had of what Lucy had dropped onto the bed were soon abated when the thing moved then plopped itself right on Lincoln's lap.

"Poo poo."

At the sound of her voice, Lincoln finally turned his head to see Lily, pudgy arms outstretched towards him.

"Linky!"

His heart would have normally been warmed by that small greeting, yet the events of the past few hours have practically reduced his emotional core into ashes. Try as he might, he couldn't find a smile in himself to greet Lily.

"Hey… Why are you even happy to see me right now?"

"Linky!" Lily's replied, blowing raspberries as she looked around the room.

"Of course, why should I expect a straight answer from you?"

With that, Lincoln nudged Lily towards Lucy.

"Here, go ahead and take Lily."

"NO!" With babyish petulance, Lily grabbed Lincoln's arm with her hand and hugged it tightly as a barnacle to the bottom of a boat.

"Boo boo!"

Lincoln frowned. "Look, I'm fine, Lily. The doctors already looked me over and treated my boo boos. I'll be there at the house tomorrow."

Lily looked at Lincoln's bandaged arms before shaking her head. She then took one hand and patted it right on the middle of his chest.

"Boo boo." Lily said, her voice bearing the most serious tone a baby could muster.

"Lincoln." The white haired boy refused to look at Lucy or Lily, now choosing to look down at his lap.

"I want to say… I'm sorry."

At that, Lincoln blinked before looking at Lucy, incredulity practically carved right on his face.

"Sorry...for what?"

Lucy stared at him, trying to impress the importance of what she was saying.

"I'm sorry that I ever made you feel like your happiness was intrinsically less important than mine."

Just then, the door opened, letting in the nurse, looking a little frazzled. A moment later, the rest of the family peeked in.

Under the new audience that was watching, Lincoln scoffed.

"As if my happiness is worth anything. Let's face it, as soon I got the chance, I broke stuff, I hurt you guys, just so I could feel a little bit bigger. So don't worry… When we get back to the house, I'll stop. It'll be like old times, you'll get your sounding board back, Lola will get back her coach… I'll go to all the games and concerts and recitals and everything… Don't worry, Lucy. Everything is going to go back to normal, the way you want it t-"

SMACK!

Lincoln blinked, wondering why he was facing the window again, before his cheek started to sting. Raising his uninjured arm to his cheek, he winced as he touched it. Turning back, he saw Lucy with her hand opened and to the side, her eyes still clearly on him despite being covered.

The nurse was about to run in and chastise Lucy, before Rita lightly grasped her arm and shook her head. The nurse looked between Rita and the scene happening before them until she relented.

"Lucy?" Lincoln asked, still a little stupefied that his goth sister had actually slapped him.

"Lincoln...what makes you think that we want the old you back, the old you that you clearly don't want to be?"

Lincoln stared evenly at her. "Isn't that what you want? You said it yourself, 'the old Lincoln, the real Lincoln.'"

"I know what I said." Lucy said tersely. "And we're sorry for that too. To forget what you said at the cafeteria just because of a couple of rough days… But it's no excuse. It should be no excuse."

Lucy then reached out and grabbed Lincoln's hand, holding it tightly.

"Lincoln, we want you and Lynn back, back home. But I believe I speak for everyone that we'd rather not let you come back if you are just going to keep all your unhappiness to yourself and let it kill you from the inside."

"You guys are taking this too seriously. So what if I'm unhappy-"

"IT DOES MATTER!" Lucy screamed right in Lincoln's face. "You think we can be happy knowing that you're suffering like this?! NO, WE CAN'T AND WE WON'T! ...We won't… There is so much to you...I...We…"

Lucy trailed off, her jumble of thoughts and emotions were so overwhelming to her, she couldn't even muster a coherent word.

Lincoln looked at her, then at Lily, before finally looking at the rest of the family looking in.

"What about you guys? You must have some choice words for me…"

At that, the rest of the family looked at each other before moving into the room, making a beeline for Lincoln.

"Well, come on. Let me have it."

And they did.

Lincoln blinked once, then twice. He tried to pinch his arm to see if he was dreaming, before realizing that Lola had his arm. After a while, he had to believe that this is real.

That he was being hugged by the Loud Family.

"G-Guys?" Lincoln stammered, trying to ignore his vision becoming slightly blurred. "What are you doing?"

"Giving you a hug, what does it look like?" Luan answered.

"Like yeah, I don't think this could be anything else. Or is this something different in Europe?" Leni pondered.

"W-Why? I don't deserve a hug…"

"And all of us deserve a good kick in the keister for thinking that you could take all the crud we gave you and come out alright. So I guess we're all in the same boat, huh dude?"

"BESIDES, YOU WENT OUT INTO A STORM! WE WERE ALL WORRIED!"

"Yes, I was ready to even get mud on my dress just to find you, so please be quiet and accept our hug!"

"...Is there something wrong with you guys?" Lincoln did his best to wiggle out of the hug, before half-heartedly glaring at everyone around him. "Seriously, does anyone remember what had happened before?! Why are you acting like this, like I've done nothing wrong?! I've been a jerk, a douche, an idiot, even things I can't even say, and yet you're just going to forget it happened? I DON'T UNDERSTAND!"

Lincoln took a couple of deep breaths as he looked around, before realizing that everyone there didn't look disturbed at his outburst.

"Lincoln, you're right. You have a point." Lisa said as she came to the forefront. "And here is our answer: we know, we won't forget, and that's why we're doing this. We could spend all day trying to figure out who is at fault, who is to really blame, but that would be like trying to isolate a single variable in an equation and blaming that for the equation not yielding the desired result. In short, we're doing this of clear mind."

Lincoln stared at Lisa, trying to focus through the blurriness before Lori came over and laid a hand on his shoulder, staring straight at him.

"We forgive you, alright?"

Lincoln was speechless. His gaze fell to his lap, then tears started to fall. His throat clenched as he began to blubber, no longer having any strength or reason to try to wipe his tears away.

He couldn't help but be reminded of the story of the Prodigal Son that Liam brought for a presentation one day that seemed so long ago. There was once a man who asked for his share of inheritance, moved to a distant city and blew it all on parties and hedonistic living. Eventually, he had nothing left, and was forced to live off whatever scraps the pigs left behind. He was reminded of his family servants and how they were better treated than he was. And so he came back home, expecting nothing but scorn and disdain, hoping to at least be hired as a servant.

However, he was only greeted with love from his family, as if he had done nothing to shame them…

And that's why he had to do something else. Waving them away, Lincoln got up from his bed, swung his legs over the edge, and jumped out. Briskly walking over to Lynn's bedside, he quietly studied her. She was the person that fed him a drug underhandedly, and some small pieces of resentment came out, whispering bitter things into his ear.

...But as his family showed him, you don't break bonds that easily, not even if you want them to.

"Lynn…" Lincoln said as he took Lynn's hand, searching for the right words. "When you wake up, I'll say it properly to you."

* * *

In the end, everything was squared away, and Lincoln came home again by Thursday noon. The Loud House was quiet, the rest of the sisters having to go to school. His dad stayed behind to keep a eye on Jr., leaving his mom to drive him back home.

As he came through the front door, his eyes immediately went to the fallen trophy cabinet, with all the shards of broken glass lying around it.

"Mom, where's the dust pan and broom?" Lincoln called out, feeling the need to fix whatever mess he could.

"Same place where we usually leave them." Rita said, before her eyes widened. "Oh yeah, the school called earlier. Principal Huggins told us that until Tuesday, you're suspended from school."

"Oh...okay." Lincoln replied, having honestly forgotten about that. Cleaning up the rest of the glass, he got a plastic bag and dumped the shards inside. Tying the bag up, he put them inside the recycling bin, and began to climb up the stairs, intent on going to his room and thinking about what he should do.

"Lincoln."

He turned around to face his mom.

"We'll talk about this more, okay? For now, get some rest."

Lincoln nodded. Sounds fair.

"Alright, mom."

Ascending up the stairs, he was about to go into his room when he looked over at Lisa's room. He looked between her room and his room, before walking into Lisa's room.

Almost immediately, his eyes locked onto the spot where the pills were, and sighed in relief that they were gone. There went that temptation. Coming closer to the desk, his eyes were drawn to one stack of papers, the top paper being a blueprint. He looked at the top of the paper.

 **'Planned Renovations - Luan Shelter'**

Nodding to himself and feeling his curiosity fulfilled, he was about to leave when his hand moved the blueprint off a bit, revealing some numbers. Turning back to the stack, he gently laid the blueprint to the side and carefully examined the paper behind it.

At first glance, it appeared to be a bunch of numbers on a sheet, with some red marks here and there. Lincoln first thought that Lisa's teacher let her take home some of her classmates' tests to grade them, before shaking his head. The numbers here are way too organized, and not in any equations he had seen.

Looking at the top of the paper, he frowned, starting to feel dread in his stomach.

 **'Royal Wood Elementary School Budget'**

'What is Lisa doing with these numbers?' Lincoln thought to himself as he picked up the papers and began to look through them. While the sheer volume of numbers threatened to make Lincoln's brain leak out of his ears, a pattern soon emerged.

Pages and pages were riddled with red ink, pointing out inaccuracies and inconsistencies, making Lincoln sweat a little.

'This is our school's budget. We need this money to buy books and that sort of thing. Yet Lisa is seeing that there's something not matching up, that we have less money that we should have. But then, where is the money? Where did it go?'

' _What was his game plan?'_

Lincoln stopped dead in his track, his eyes widening. For the first time in a long while, his head was clear enough to think, to connect the pieces. He had to resist the urge to slam his head onto the nearby desk.

'The question is not where did it go.'

'The question is who did it go to.'

* * *

Author's Note:

Hopefully, the cooldown chapter isn't too shabbily written. As for the two reviewers...you know who you are.


	18. To Stand Tall Again

Whew, here we go. One more chapter before chapter 19 and 20, the big climax and the epilogue. And it only took me 4 more months after NaNoWriMo.

Wonder how many people remember that this was a NaNoWriMo project? Can't even imagine how I would have written this in 50,000 words.

Anyways, how many of you were even surprised that **** actually turned out to have malicious intentions? The reason why I ask this will be at the ending Author Notes.

Finally, guest reviews!

Guest 1: Thank you for suggesting that. It would be nice to scroll through the recs list and see it on there. Still, regardless of whether this work makes it or not, the fact that I have currently made it as far as I did is an accomplishment in of itself.

Dread55: Do you now? And yeah, as I said near the beginning of this Author's Note, two more chapters after this. As for future stories, I don't know…

Without further ado, let us see the set-up to the end!

Beta Reader: InquisitorJeeves

* * *

Lincoln was still looking through the papers when the door opened, the unmaintained hinges creaking loudly. The white haired boy looked up from the papers to look at the person who had opened the door when his sight was drawn to the nearby clock. From what he was seeing, he had spent the past three hours looking through the papers. Where did the time go?

"Lincoln, what are you doing here?" Lisa asked, her narrowing eyes radiating both resolve and fear. "If you are here for what I think you are, then I'm afraid I have already destroyed any and all of them."

"Good, that's good!" Lincoln said, trying to calm Lisa down all while trying not to appear like a recovering addict trying to find a secret fix. "Don't worry, I wasn't looking for anything, I just found these papers of yours on your desk and was wondering what these numbers were."

Lisa blinked as she walked across the room to grab the papers and look over the numbers. As she did, her eyes widened as she sat at her desk and laid them out.

"Oh yes, these papers… I actually had forgotten about them due to the events of the past few days…"

"Sorry…" Lincoln grimaced, rubbing the back of his head.

"Don't be. I consider the assurance of your safety and well-being, physical and mentally, to be of higher priority than these papers. Still, now that you're in more of a stable condition, I suppose I can take these papers to the principal or even the superintendent tomorrow…"

"Wait, what?" Lincoln said, trying his best to keep his worry out of his outburst. "Y-You can't do that!"

"Why not?" Lisa asked, her confused expression showing her for the four year old she still was, regardless of how she usually held herself.

"Because…" Lincoln searched for a good enough excuse to give to Lisa.

Because one of the people that you're planning on giving it to happens to be the reason why the budget is a bit off? That he will no doubt cover up that information to the point that it will never see the sun ever again? That even if you decide to confront the superintendent upfront, he can always reveal that I'm Balor and basically destroy any credibility you have?

"Like you said, it has been a couple of days since you last looked it over. Maybe you should double check it, even triple check it. I mean, this sounds like some serious stuff, and I'm sure you don't want to jump the gun…"

Lisa looked like she was pondering what Lincoln said before nodding her head. "You have a point, Lincoln. I should be able to look over and formalize all the inaccuracies in time for tomorrow."

A blink, then two. Then Lincoln had to resist the urge to smack himself on the head. Right, super genius with numbers. Like she would need two days to check everything over…

Great, now he needed to come up with another plan to stall Lisa from actually submitting those numbers tomorrow. He could try asking about the possible side-effects of the drug and asking her to run some tests on him to make sure that there was no side effects left over. But then again, everyone else in the family might see it as Lisa trying to take advantage of him to run further experiments, and frankly, he had little appetite to actually cause more strife within his family.

He could try stealing the papers. He briefly considered that idea before discarding it out of disgust and incredulity. Not only did it make Lincoln feel like the lowest of low for even thinking about stealing from Lisa again, but she probably would memorize the whole list by tomorrow and write down a new list if the old one was suddenly missing.

Unfortunately, discarding that idea meant that he didn't have any other ideas. All other ideas he thought up he quickly discarded due to them not being up to the quality he wanted or expected. At this point, he might as well get down on his knees and beg Lisa to not present her findings to the superintendent.

Yet, at that moment, as Lincoln mockingly considered that idea, he realized something else.

Why didn't he just tell Lisa the reason why she couldn't tell? Why was it so hard for him to confess that he was Balor, the reason why all of this was happening? Lincoln tried to look deep inside himself for the answer, only for some ruckus to break him out of his pondering.

Looking into the hallway, he saw Lucy and Leni on their knees, gathering papers besides an upturned box and Lucy's own backpack. The two looked fully focused on their work, yet their downcast expressions told of the reason why. Lincoln, feeling a little awkward just standing around, began to pick up a few papers.

As he did so, he looked over the papers that he was picking up. Some were clearly fashion designs, so those belonged to Leni. Everything else, from worksheets to poetry, clearly belonged to Lucy.

"Lincoln, what are you doing here?" Lincoln stopped in his task to look up at Leni and Lucy, who were looking at him confused.

"Helping you pick up papers, what does it look like?"

"Are you sure you should be up and about so soon?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah, don't worry about us, you should go ahead and get some more rest." Leni added.

Lincoln shook his head. "It's fine, I'll be resting for the next four days anyway. Besides, I only have a sprained wrist here. Unless you guys have been writing on sheet metal, I think I'll be fine."

Lucy and Leni looked at each other, clearly not fully on board with Lincoln's idea, yet thankfully unwilling to try to push the issue. They went back to picking up their papers, with Lincoln now doing his share.

Seeing another piece of paper, Lincoln picked it up and put it on his pile, flipping it around in the process. Before he continued to look for more pieces of paper, he spotted a mass of black on the piece of paper. Turning his full attention on the paper, he blinked in surprise.

There on the paper, was a drawing of Balor, clear as day despite the person's clear amateur ability to draw. There was also some words inscribed next to the picture. _Why?_

What really surprised Lincoln was that he recognized the handwriting. After all, he would have to be blind to not see the handwriting of so many poems that he looked over for their owner.

Before he could say anything else, a pale hand quickly snatched up the paper. Looking up, he saw Lucy there, a hasty pile of papers gathered in her arms, an indescribable look on her face. The brief eye contact was broken as Lucy quickly turned away, walking to her room and closing the door.

It happened so fast, that Lincoln was left looking at his hand. It took a few moments for his hand to realize that it didn't have anything in its grasp anymore. Slowly, he clenched his hand as Leni came close.

"Are you alright, Lincoln?" Leni asked.

"Yeah, just surprised." Lincoln looked around at the mess. "Why were you guys even carrying so many papers?"

"Oh." Leni said, her small smile suddenly growing smaller. "Our high school decided to follow your elementary school and shut down the clubs. I went ahead and took my designs from the fashion club."

"What?!" Lincoln said, before remembering something important about the grades. Superintendent White didn't say anything about Royal Woods Elementary alone having problems with their grades, he was talking about the whole district.

Still, now that he knew White's game plan, he had to wonder if the grades crisis really was as bad as White said it was, or if it was just one of his plans to hide his actions. After all, rather than discretely talking to the schools about how the students' grades could be improved, Superintendent White instead went straight to the media to tell them.

Lincoln shook his head, trying to stop going further into the rabbit hole. He needed to concentrate. The other schools must have been on the fence about the possible methods to raise the grades. So what had happened now?

Lincoln frowned.

"Let me guess, they cited Balor as one of the causes…"

"Oh, I'm so sorry, Lincoln!" Leni said as she hugged Lincoln. "It must be hard knowing that Balor did such a naughty thing. But yeah, like they held an assembly that told us if we wanted to act out like Balor did, the whole school was going to crack down even more on us."

Leni's words made him feel terrible. He knew she didn't mean to, but her words made him remember so many times when his plans failed, hurting everyone around him. This time was no different, only his failures had affected a lot more people.

How could he fix something like this?

"Still, why do you like Balor?" Leni asked, snapping Lincoln out of his self-recrimination.

"Oh, umm…" Lincoln quickly thought of a few excuses. "He had a cool shirt?"

Smooth.

Leni giggled. "And because he was everything you want to?"

Lincoln blinked before slowly nodding. "Yeah, Balor was everything I ever wanted. He was cool, confident, never let anything get him down… I wish I could have been more like him…"

Leni looked confused for a moment. "Really, because I think that was how Lucy talked about him as well."

It was Lincoln's turn to look confused. "What?"

"Yeah, it was after that first protest. I don't think you were there, but we were talking about why she was in it to begin with. And when she started to talk about Balor…"

Leni smiled.

"She looked like you when you start talking about that comic book hero of yours. What was his name again? Ace Sappy?"

"It's Ace Savvy…" Lincoln said offhandedly as he tried to imagine Lucy, with her usual deadpan expression, acting with the same exuberance and excitement talking about Balor that he once did with Ace Savvy. It should have been impossible, and yet…

He remembered saving Haiku and Tabby from those two bullies, which Lucy no doubt heard about.

He remembered first coming into that classroom, quoting poems that he had long forgotten about and answering Lucy's prayers for someone to come save her club.

He remembered asking Lucy to demonstrate her knowledge of anatomy on his arm, only having to help her through her nerves and stage fright.

When he thought about it, no wonder that Lucy admired Balor. For him, Balor was just a mask, a guise to slip into and become someone that he thought he could never. But for Lucy, Balor must have been like a hero from her books that practically leaped from the page, somehow larger than life and just as real.

Flashes of Huggins' credit card information and the pizzas made Lincoln frown. And Balor basically trampled on that admiration.

"Lincoln, are you okay? You suddenly looked like you ate a lemon, which is weird since I don't think we even have any lemons in the house." Leni observed.

"It's okay." Lincoln waved off her concern. "I just...have a lot to think about."

Lincoln handed her the rest of the papers, before going back into his room. As the door shut, Lincoln leaned against the wood and slid down onto his butt. He stayed that way for a few minutes, staring out the window. Finally, he got up and made his way to a specific part of the floor.

Getting onto his knees, he peeled back the floor, revealing a secret makeshift compartment. Reaching inside, he began to pull out articles of clothing, from a pair of pants, to a jacket, sunglasses, a mask, and some black strips of cloth. Laying them to the side, he reached in again, groping around in the dark for a bit before he felt it.

Pulling the shirt out, he unfurled it, revealing the skull and crossed AK-47s of Bullet Club. Lincoln stared at the logo for a moment. He remembered when he first saw the logo, and how cool the design was.

Now he couldn't help but think it looked a bit garish. Still, he laid it in front of him along with all the other clothing that Balor wore. He had until tomorrow to think of what to do, before Lisa decided to turn in that information, and Superintendent White could start making sure that data would never see the light of day.

He just hoped that he could make the right decision.

* * *

...It was quiet, too quiet.

Lucy frowned as she tossed and turned in her bed, messing up her immaculate sheets. On any other night, she would have frowned at the idea of her sheets looking messy and crumpled, since that meant that she moved during the night and wasn't completely still. It also helped with fixing the bed in the morning.

But the silence was driving her up the wall. She would have welcomed the quiet on any other occasion like an old friend, yet the silence that haunted her was like an insidious shadow that merely disturbed the peace with its presence, and she already knew the cause. Looking over at her side, she stared at the empty bed on the other side of the room.

Logically, she knew that Lynn was already finishing up her stint at the hospital and she was coming home tomorrow. She knew that all the tests that they had ran on Lynn showed that she was in tip-top condition. She knew that she should have been happy to know that for the most part, Lynn and Lincoln were okay and she should have been okay with that.

She wished she could say that.

If the past few days had showed her, there were more important things to worry about than the Morticians' Club. Lynn and Lincoln got injured, and Lincoln's fight unfortunately left the faculty determining further disciplinary action for the school. She clearly had more important things to worry about than the club.

So why couldn't her brain take the hint and actually focus on those things?

Finally, her restlessness got the better of her. Kicking her blankets off her, Lucy got up and briskly walked out of her room. Standing still for a moment to let her eyes adjust to the darkness, the goth made her way to the kitchen, her feet making no sound on the old wooden stairs.

Once down, she got a footstep and set it down in front of the cabinet where they kept the drinking cups. Getting one, she filled it up with water and quickly drained it, feeling the water flow down her throat. Setting the glass aside, Lucy climbed back up the stairs, making no noise still. Going back into her room, she climbed back into bed, slightly more ready to try to go to sleep. Taking up her normal sleeping position, straight on her back with her hands crossed, as if she was sleeping in a coffin, she stared up at the ceiling.

Where there was a shadowy figure staring at her through the vent.

"GASP!" Lucy said in surprise.

"Lucy. Try to keep it down, I may be a bit of a chancer, but something tells me that the rest of your family won't take kindly to me."

Lucy blinked, though her hair hid the action.

"...Balor?"

"Yeah, it's me. Look, can we talk up here? I can promise that this is no dream, or nightmare."

Lucy stared at the vent, before getting up from her bed, and climbed into the opening. Staring into the darkness, she didn't need to wait long, before the darkness of the vents were banished away. Balor sat against the wall, his left side facing Lucy as he set a flashlight between the two of them.

Lucy sat down indian style as she forced the raging maelstrom inside her to calm down. Balor was here, how was he here? Who even let him into the house?

"How did you even get into the house?"

"Oh, your brother came across me when I was changing back. We're close enough. You know, ever since he found out that you were going to continue being with the protest, he tracked me down again and made me promise that I would watch out for you. Savage brother you got there."

"What?"

"Oh, Irish slang for excellent. The Irish can be weird."

"Huh…"

All through that exchange, Lucy noticed that Balor never turned to face her properly, continuing to stare at the wall. Just as she was about to call him out on this and ask him to face her, Balor exhaled loudly, the sudden sound slightly startling Lucy. Balor then turned his head towards her.

"Look...I'm sorry."

Lucy was still, her face neutral. Then the words she wanted to ask slipped past her lips.

"Then you really stole Principal Huggins' credit card information and used that to pay for pizza?"

"Yes."

"...Why?"

Balor fell silent for a moment.

"Do you realize how safe Royal Woods is? Believe me, if there's a dark underbelly to this town, I either haven't found it or it's more like a dark underthumb… I guess the point I'm trying to make is that… once the whole thing is done… there's not much of a reason for me to stick around, or even exist."

"...So you made a pizza party because you feared obsolescence?"

"...Yes, and I'm sorry for everything. I know it's not enough to make up for what I did, but I feel like I had to tell you that."

Lucy stayed quiet for a moment as she thought about Balor's words. They seemed genuine enough.

"Then what you plan on doing about the clubs? Are you seriously just going to leave it like that?"

Balor pointedly looked at her.

"Why are you asking me that?"

At that, Lucy let the events of the past few days briefly leave her mind. "Because the school is taking everything. They're not stopping at just the clubs. I heard our Principal talking with that Superintendent about possibly cutting the playground budget, and just because of my brother's fight. One fight and they're already talking about taking more. It's crazy, it's like they're looking for excuses to take more and more away!"

"They really were talking about that?"

"YES! That's why you need to come back. You were the only one brave enough to stand up to them. You were the one to gather everyone up and stand against those people. Please, you have to come back!"

Balor stared at her, before turning his head.

"Can't, Lucy. I blew whatever credibility I had. If I surfaced again, nobody will take what I do seriously. Besides, White knows my identity. If I try anything, he'd shut me down fast."

Balor sighed.

"I'm sorry, Lucy. There's nothing I can do."

Lucy's face fell.

"No...There must be something you can do. L-Like how you inspired my club to act!"

Balor looked at her again.

"How I inspired your club?"

"YES!"

"That's...not true."

"Yes, it is!"

"No, it's not. Lucy, I think you're remembering that time differently than me. I remember being ready to walk out that room, because even I could tell that there was nothing I could say that would change their minds."

With that, Balor came a bit closer, and Lucy swore that she could see the outline of his pupils through his sunglasses.

"But Lucy, you did that. You moved them, you inspired them, you helped them stand up when my words couldn't. That was all you, Lucy, and I believe that you can do it again."

Lucy's breath stalled for a moment, before she shook her head.

"No, no. I can't do that. I'm not brave like you."

Balor nodded.

"You're right. I'm not brave like you, Lucy. I'm stupid, unlike you. There's a difference between brave and stupid, and I had to go through a lot of pain recently to learn it. As far as I see it, stupid is just charging at a glass wall, and being too dumb to admit that it hurt and now you got several shards of glass sticking out your back. But being brave… you're still afraid, but you believe that there's something you have to do that's more important than your fear…"

Lucy was silent, unsure how to respond to Balor's words.

"Listen, Lucy. Do you believe in that cause? Do you believe that you have a point?"

Lucy thought for a moment as she contemplated that question. After a few moments, she came up with her answer.

"Yes." She answered resolutely, surprising herself.

Balor nodded, making Lucy feel a bit of pride for coming up with the right answer.

"Then there you go… You know, this all reminds me of something that I read once. Now what was it, give me a moment."

Muttering under his breath for a few moments, Balor nodded to himself.

"Got it." He cleared his throat. "Each must for himself alone decide what is right and what is wrong. You cannot shirk this and be a man. To decide it against your convictions is to be an unqualified and inexcusable traitor to yourself. Let men label you as they may. If you alone of all the nation shall decide one way, and that way be the right way according to your convictions of the right, you have your duty by yourself. Hold up your head. You have nothing to be ashamed of'."

Balor reached out and tapped Lucy right where her heart was.

"Doesn't matter what the press says. Doesn't matter what the higher-ups say. Doesn't matter if the whole school, town, state, country decides that something **wrong** is something **right**. When everything and everyone is telling you to move, if you truly believe in it, then it is your responsibility to stand next to that conviction, TO THAT TRUTH, AND SAY TO ALL OF THOSE THAT ARE SCREAMING AT YOU…"

"No, you move."

With that, Balor leaned back, letting Lucy realize that she had stopped breathing. As she started to breathe again, Balor rubbed the back of his head.

"Sorry, I...uh… got a little into the moment."

Lucy took another moment to catch her breath, before shaking her head.

"N-No, it's okay. It's fine. You have given me a lot to think about."

Balor nodded, and for a moment, Lucy wondered if Balor was smiling.

"Good to hear. Thank you for hearing me out. Still, I got a few more things I have to do… So see you."

"Wait, Balor…"

"Yeah?"

"If I ever see you without your mask, can I carry your books?"

"...It's fine, I'll carry my own books. You should probably go back to bed."

Lucy was about to climb back down to her room, before giving one last look at Balor. As Balor crawled away from her, his flashlight in hand, she couldn't help but look at his right arm. When she thought about it, he had his left side facing her nearly the entire time.

Now that she wasn't getting struck dumb by his words, she could see that there was something off about his right hand, as if he had a cast on it…

* * *

Lincoln yawned deeply as he closed the door behind him and walked over to the line of people for the bathroom. Smacking his lips together, he looked through his tired eyes to count his place in line. Well, he was dead last. Idly noting that, he settled in for the wait.

"Dude, rough night?"

Lincoln looked up at everyone else, looking worried at him. He looked back down at his crumpled up pajamas before rubbing his face. He was surprised that he managed to look this bad from just getting about two hours of sleep.

"Long night." Lincoln said, as if it explained everything.

"Are you sure?" Luan asked.

"Yes, had some trouble sleeping." Please take the excuse.

"...Okay, if you say so." Lori's words were like a command, and one by one, each of the sisters turned back. Still, he could see the occasional glance from each of them.

"Lincoln, if you're having trouble sleeping, I do have some sleeping aids available to you." Lisa paused for a moment. "And they're all not drugs."

"I'll think about it." Lincoln replied as he watched the line grow and grow smaller. Finally, as Lisa was about to enter the bathroom, Lincoln tapped her on the shoulder.

"Well, that was quick." Lisa said as she turned to face Lincoln. He was confused for a moment, before remembering what Lisa was saying a couple of minutes ago.

"No, no, it's not about that. Listen, can you meet me in my room before you go to school? It's really important."

Lisa's eyes widened as she heard the seriousness in Lincoln's voice, before she nodded.

"Very well, please allow me clean myself before I meet you."

Lincoln nodded back, and Lisa went inside. A few minutes later, Lisa came back out and gestured towards the door. Lincoln entered, hearing the door close behind him.

Turning the faucet, he cupped his hands together, letting the water gather in them, before splashing his face. He did this a couple more times, feeling the fatigue wash away bit by bit. As he rubbed his face one last time, he let his hands clutch the sides of the sink and stared into the mirror, his eyes watching every drop of excess water fall off his face.

Well, last chance, Lincoln. You could still go into that room, and tell Lisa something else, and not this. Lincoln stared at his reflection before derisively snorting.

"Sure, and waste the entirety of last night? Forget it."

With that, Lincoln nodded resolutely to his reflection, before walking out of the bathroom. Walking through the halls, he finally stood in front of his room. Taking a deep breath, he stretched his neck side to side before becoming as straight as a line.

"Let's do this."

Lincoln opened the door to show Lisa waiting patiently for him, sitting on the bed.

"Ah, there you are, Lincoln. Do you mind telling me what you called me here for?"

Time to put all the cards on the table.

"You shouldn't show Superintendent White or Principal Huggins those numbers."

Lisa blinked. "What? Why?"

"Because I know Superintendent White is behind those mistakes, and he isn't making them accidentally."

Lisa's eyes widened.

"Are you saying…"

Lincoln nodded.

"I'm accusing Superintendent White of stealing money out of the schools' budgets with some help."

"That's...That's a serious claim, Lincoln. Do you have any proof?"

Lincoln quietly got his backpack, opened it and got out a few manila envelopes. Leafing through them, he got one and held it out to Lisa. The young genius grabbed it quizzically and opened it. Seeing the contents made Lisa pale.

"Lincoln, why do you have Mrs. Cheryl Danvers', the school secretary's file?"

"Because first, look here. She has a personal recommendation from Superintendent White here, and yet, look at her qualifications. At the time of her hiring, she barely has as much experience as the other applicants."

"Well...The superintendent must have seen something special in her."

"Yes, but look at her hire date again. Tell me, when did those inaccuracies start happening?"

Lisa took a long look at the date, before looking back at Lincoln, slightly incredulous.

"Lincoln, no offense, but it does seem more like a coincidence rather than a pattern."

"I expected you to say that. So I took the liberty of going to the other schools and found what staff members got personal recommendations from Superintendent White." Lincoln said as he got the rest of the manila envelopes and set them on the bed. "And what do you know, all of them have had hands in their budgets. I'm sure you will probably need to look over their budgets too, but I bet you will find the same thing that you found at our school."

Lisa blinked once, then twice. "Wait, you visited all the schools? All six of them in one night? That's at least… 1.3333 schools per hour! And I'm guessing you used your bike to travel?!"

Lincoln yawned. "Don't remind me. That was a long night."

"I...I don't understand! What is happening to you, Lincoln?! I thought the drug had run its course!"

Lincoln nodded. "It did, Lisa. Don't worry, I'm not going to break more things. But promise me, Lisa. Whatever I tell you in the next few minutes, don't tell them. I'll tell them on my terms, I promise."

"Lincoln…"

"Lisa." The white haired boy lightly grasped his little sister's hand and squeezed it. "Please."

Lisa stared at Lincoln, nibbling on her lip for a bit, before nodding. She clearly didn't trust her voice as she sat as still as possible, clearly wondering what else that Lincoln had done to build his case.

"Okay… I'll also admit that this has gotten personal for me."

Lisa held her tongue.

"You remember yesterday, before... everything? When Superintendent White had that assembly, and basically had the entire student body have a manhunt for anyone that might even have the slightest clue about Balor?"

"Yes…" Lisa said, unpleasant memories filtering through her head. "That's one concrete criticism to have against Superintendent White. Not that I'm not going to investigate the information that you have given me…"

"It's okay." Lincoln assured her. "As for that assembly… he did it knowing who Balor was."

"He did?! Wait…" Lisa paused as she considered Lincoln's words more carefully. "How do you know that?"

Lincoln merely raised an eyebrow and let the silence tell the story. As the silence dragged on, Lisa's eyes suddenly grew wide. Her lips moved, but no sound came out.

Getting his backpack, he drew out a folded shirt. Standing in front of Lisa, he unfurled it, revealing the Bullet Club shirt. This time, a bit of a gasp came out of Lisa's mouth, as she hesitantly reached out. As her hand met fabric, her hand recoiled back, as if the shirt was pure fire. The young genius looked up at Lincoln.

"Sorry, Lisa, I got us in a complete Hames."

Lisa looked at Lincoln, then at the shirt. She repeated this process a few more times. Finally, she took off her glasses, breathed onto them, wiped the lenses with her shirt, and put her glasses back on. Staring at the image before her, she sighed.

"Well...I didn't see that coming."

"Yeah… as far as I can see, White has all the cards. All the parents are listening to him, the Principal's hands are tied, and if we try anything, he can drop my secret to the media and watch us get torn apart by the 24 hour news cycle. And if those reporters find out about the pills…"

Lisa swallowed. "This sounds like quite the mess we're in…"

Lincoln nodded. "Yep. We need to come up with a plan that can make Superintendent White lose the ear of the parents and the school, and nail him with what we can find. And all of this before or during Tuesday."

"Tuesday?"

"The deadline that White gave me. If I don't confess by then, I'm sure he'll leak the story to the press, and then use me again to make more official cutbacks while he has his people funnel some more money into his back pockets…"

"...I'm in."

Lincoln turned to face Lisa. "What?"

Lisa hopped off the bed. "I'm in. I know you, Lincoln. At least I believe I do, and part of me knows that you're being completely serious about this. So whatever happens, I'm in."

Before Lincoln could give an answer, the door opened.

"Count me in too."

The two turned to face the person who talked, only for both of them to gasp.

"LYNN?!"

The sporty sister closed the door behind her, her eyes staring straight at them.

"Let me help."

Lincoln rubbed the back of his head, ready to commit to the promise he had made at the hospital. "Listen, Lynn…"

"Save it, Lincoln." Lynn cut him off. "I...I don't deserve it. But please, let me help you with...whatever you got planned."

"Lynn…" Lisa cut in. "Are you sure you can help? I'm sure that head injury of yours limits what you can do."

"I'm fine!" Lynn said as she made a muscle. "See? Doctors gave me the okay, said that I'm pretty lucky to walk away like that!"

"Lynn…" Lincoln began, trying to think of reasons not to include Lynn. She probably needed more rest, she didn't need to work for forgiveness…

"Lincoln…" Lincoln looked up, seeing Lynn plead. "Please let me help."

Lincoln stared at Lynn, seeing in her eyes a plain desire to make things right. It didn't matter if he forgave her. She wanted- no, **needed** to make up for it.

Just like him.

And as he looked between her, Lisa, the Bullet Club shirt, and the walkie-talkie, Lincoln felt the corner of his lips curl.

The Man with a Plan just found more to work with.

* * *

Author's Note: Wow, didn't expect this to get this long.

By the way, been listening to Fozzy's "Judas." I say fits the Meltdown arc pretty well.

So the you-know-what episode one year anniversary is coming up. Want to do something with that, so might have a bit of a schedule slip with the next chapter. Also, can't believe no one reacted to all the doctors saying how 'lucky' Lynn was to get hit by a flying object in the head and walk away with no lasting damage.

The speech that Lincoln gave to Lucy is based off Captain America's speech to Spiderman in Civil War (the comic book event). That is indeed an important detail to note.

As for why I was hoping that people were genuinely surprised by White's reveal, think of it like this. White has done some pretty sketchy things throughout the story, like going straight to the media to talk about the grades crisis without talking to the schools about trying to improve them at first, to essentially deciding a student's punishment in place of the school's principal.

But you were all distracted by Lincoln's shenanigans, weren't you?

Also, last thing - "Don't you get it Lucy? You're the real mockingjay."

Anyways, next chapter, the climax. Let's hope I can stick it.


	19. The Time Is Now

Well, here we are. I certainly hope I don't screw up this part.

Let's first answer some guests:

JT65: Had to look up what you meant by NYSE. I see…

LucasGreenX23: Huh, was that how the parents came across in the show or in this fic? Anyways, thanks for your reassurance that I'm handling the characters well. I'm always wondering if they are too OOC at times.

Whew, with that said… HEAVEN OR HELL! DECIDE THE DESTINY!

 **Beta Reader: InquisitorJeeves**

* * *

Lincoln sat on the edge of his bed, watching the sun slowly rise from the horizon. The house and the surrounding area were quiet, almost as if the world itself was holding its breath. The white haired boy couldn't help but smile a bit.

This was nice, he should do it more often.

He was already fully dressed and freshened up. His bandages covering the cuts were secure, and he was thankful that they were coming off soon. His wrist underneath the cast stopped itching. He had managed to get a good night's sleep beforehand. He felt physically fine, like a million dollars.

Considering that today was Tuesday, they were going to need every advantage that they could get their hands on.

Still, the time to stress out wasn't here yet, and he might as well take all the peace that he could.

As Lincoln watched the day outside become brighter and brighter, he became more aware of the sound of rousing life throughout the house. Yawns and the shuffling of feet might not have made much noise, but against the quiet that existed throughout the house, it might as well as have been like ripples shooting through still water. To Lincoln, while he was sad to hear the peace go away, it also gave him a warning.

It was going to be time soon.

Taking a deep breath, Lincoln stood up and opened the door.

"Lincoln, you're already dressed?" Lori asked as she looked at Lincoln from her place in line, the others following suit and looking.

"Yeah, didn't sleep that well… Gonna go ahead and get some breakfast."

Without waiting for their responses, Lincoln headed down the stairs and into the kitchen. He saw his parents already in the room, just slightly hovering at a slight awareness of the world around them. The two of them turned to regard the new presence in the room.

"Lincoln, you're dressed early. Are you that excited to go back to school?" His mom asked.

Lincoln briefly weighed his response.

"You can say that." Lincoln said vaguely as he continued into the room. Getting out the footstool, he opened up the nearby cabinet, briefly looked at his choices, before shrugging and getting out whatever cereal was closest to his hand.

"Champ, you want to wait a few moments, I could whip up something?" His father asked.

Lincoln shook his head as he got the milk. "It's fine, dad. I feel in the mood for cereal."

Well, if the mood was nerve wracking nervousness to the point that even his stomach was starting to feel a little ill about anything heavier. Setting the two items on the table, he got his bowl, sat down, and poured out some cereal onto the bowl before pouring milk over the corn flakes. Taking his spoon, he scooped up some flakes and put the spoon in his mouth.

He had no appetite for the stuff that was in his mouth, but he forced himself to chew. When the flakes were turned into enough of a mush, he swallowed. He looked down at his still nearly full bowl of cereal and tried his best to force down his grimace.

"Lincoln, are you okay?"

Lincoln quickly took inventory of his face. Grimace slipped through anyway, dang it.

"Fine. I'm just...nervous."

"Well… It's alright, champ. I'm sure your classmates will eventually see that you're actually a nice guy and that it really was an accident."

Huh? "Oh…"

That was right. He did just break a guy's nose with his head and then smirked about it. If nothing else, everyone would probably be too scared to mess with him. He thought about this with detachment, counting it as another thing to remind him that even after all the stuff with White had been cleared up, there was no simply going back to the status quo.

"Yeah…"

Lincoln mechanically scooped up another spoonful of cereal and shoved it in his mouth, chewing and swallowing with the same lack of enthusiasm as the last time. It soon became a process for Lincoln, forcing himself to become an automation of shoving cereal down his throat. Time seemed to lose its meaning to him, only noting the passage of it through how his corn flakes seemed to get soggier with each spoonful.

Finally, his spoon came up only filled with milk. Considering himself sated, he took up the bowl and drank the milk, letting the dairy run down his throat. Setting the bowl down, he realized that in the time it took to finish his cereal, his sisters had finished dressing up and were pouring into the kitchen, either taking up Dad's offers for breakfast or grabbing some of the cereal and pouring themselves a bowl.

And there lied another reason why he was on edge, because he could sense that for all their chatter, his sisters were on edge too.

Not just Lisa and Lynn, who were in on his plan. Everyone else minus Lily seemed to be trying to keep up some mask of normality, yet their talking and movements didn't seem as natural. At the forefront of this strangeness was Lucy, who's monotone actually slipped from time to time. It wasn't obvious, but if one paid attention they could catch it.

His other sisters were clearly planning something. Throughout the weekend, he could hear them whisper, meet in private, communicate over notes. It even affected their everyday activities, from Lori seemingly more focused as she texted on her cellphone, to Luna and Luan going out without their equipment. And all of them seemed like they wanted him to be out of the loop.

Frankly, it was also driving him up the wall, which drove them up the wall, and everyone was boosting each other up like how two people lifting each other up quickly one after the other somehow lets both of them fly. Eventually, Lincoln had to really play up his ignorance and pretend that he didn't notice how secretive his sisters, if only to calm his stomach from creating ulcers. Thankfully, his sisters got the message and did their best to hide their activities better, letting Lincoln concentrate on his planning with Lisa and Lynn.

Speaking of which…

Lincoln silently got his bowl, set it inside the sink, and looked around. He saw that Lisa and Lynn were not yet in the room. Walking out of the kitchen, he looked at the stairs and saw both of them waiting near the middle. Climbing up and facing them at eye level, he mouthed some words.

'Everything ready?'

Both of them nodded their heads, before Lynn walked past him, not making eye contact with him. Lincoln watched her go, before silently sighing and climbing up the stairs. As he reached the top, he took a look back and saw Lisa behind him, the questions she wanted to ask clear as day.

Lincoln motioned over to his room. As Lisa entered his room, Lincoln closed the door behind them and pressed his ear to the door, listening closely for anyone coming up the stairs and listening in. After a few moments, he was satisfied. Looking back at Lisa, who was sitting on the other side of the bed, waiting for him to talk to her, he thought about what to say, before deciding to lay it on the table.

"Should I still be feeling like this?"

Lisa didn't visibly react, only nodding her head, subtly telling Lincoln to continue.

"I mean, it's been at least three days, and Lynn still won't hear me out. Every time I try to tell that I forgive her, she either doesn't acknowledge it or she runs out the room. It's really starting to drive me nuts. Why can't she just stay still and let me forgive her?"

Lincoln blew some air out of his mouth as he rubbed his face.

"I mean, it's hard enough trying to actually forgive her. I know you guys forgave me, so I want to forgive her, but… I still have these thoughts, this part of my brain telling me that I shouldn't, that Lynn doesn't deserve forgiveness, and just because you guys showed it to me, I shouldn't show it to her. I guess what I'm trying to say is, is it alright that I'm still feeling like this?"

Lisa nodded as she reached over and laid her hand on Lincoln's own.

"To be honest, I would be even more concerned if you instantly forgave Lynn on the spot and without any reservations. It is understandable and reasonable that you do have some doubts with Lynn. After all, she did take advantage of your trust and placed you in a worsening situation. Granted, a situation that you made worse for yourself, but she did play a part in it."

Lisa paused for a moment as she thought about what to say next.

"However, it is when you continue to focus on those doubts, place them in the highest priority, and use them to justify violence and brutishness when it becomes unacceptable. In the end, no one, even Lynn, expects you to forgive her immediately. Take your time, and don't feel like we're expecting results from you soon. When you forgive her, you'll forgive her."

Lincoln pondered those words before slowly nodding. "Thanks. I needed that."

Lisa nodded as she hopped off the bed. "Good, hopefully that is less weighing on your mind."

"Don't worry." Lincoln said as he grabbed his backpack.

"I thrive on pressure."

* * *

In the end, Lincoln and Lisa asked to walk to school, while Lynn asked to stay home. Thankfully, both requests were granted. After watching Vanzilla drive off, Lincoln and Lisa started to walk in the direction of the school, while Lynn stayed watching from the house. She then went back inside the house.

The two continued walking until they came by a park bench, with two people waiting for them.

"Sorry we're late." Lincoln greeted Clyde and Ronnie as the two stood up. "We couldn't hitch a ride with Lori and the others."

"Well, at least you didn't keep us waiting that long." Clyde said, with Ronnie nodding.

"I have the equipment here." Lisa said as she got her backpack and brought out the equipment needed. Giving it all one last look, Lincoln looked at Clyde and Ronnie.

"Last chance to back out now. If we fail, pretty sure I'll be dragging you guys down with me."

"Save it, Lame-o." Ronnie said as she picked up her tools. "This is our school at stake. Even if we want to walk away, doubt you're gonna find anyone else on such short notice."

"I'm with you, man." Clyde said as he grabbed his equipment. "Gotta make up for what happened on Tuesday."

"It's fine dude." Lincoln assured him. "In fact, I want to apologize personally for the jerk that I have been…"

Ronnie walked up and placed a finger on Lincoln's lips. "Save it. Let's first get everyone out of hot water, then you can start kissing our shoes."

"But that's unsanitary." Clyde grimaced.

Lincoln and Lisa looked at each other, before smiling at each other.

"All right, team. Let's move out." Lincoln said as he started walking, taking a moment to adjust the equipment on his person. Lisa, Clyde, and Ronnie weren't far behind.

The group of four continued walking until they were on the familiar streets that would bring them to the elementary school's campus. However, as they approached, they could hear noise coming from the area.

"What is that?" Ronnie asked.

"Sounds like people." Clyde commented.

As the group walked closer to the area of the school, the noise became clearer.

"Unban the clubs!"

"Policies are unfair!"

"WHITE NOT RIGHT!"

Clyde, Ronnie and Lisa looked at Lincoln, who looked back at them. Almost as one, the four started running faster. As they came to the campus proper, all of them stopped, their jaws hanging open at what they saw.

A crowd of students were standing in the parking lot of Royal Woods Elementary School, chanting slogans and waving signs.

"Lincoln, how on earth did you manage to organize another protest?" Lisa asked, her glasses slipping a bit.

Lincoln shook his head. "I didn't."

Looking closer at the group, a few differences immediately stood out to Lincoln. First, there was a lot more people present at this protest than in his. Remembering the numbers, he compared his protest to this, and saw that the crowd was easily triple, maybe even quadruple, in size.

Second, there wasn't just elementary students there. He saw students that were clearly high schoolers and middle schoolers, as well as elementary students that he didn't recognize. Spotting a few older students that shared features with the younger students, Lincoln deduced that the ones he didn't recognize must have come from the other elementary schools, and got rides from their high schooler siblings to come here.

Finally, he could pick out the rest of his sisters out of the crowd. Luna was near Tabby and a blonde high-schooler with a teal streak in her hair. Luan was holding up a banner with a brown haired middle schooler and Giggles. Lori held hands with Bobby. Leni stood with people who he suspected to be members of the fashion club, the clearly handmade 'protest' clothes giving their identity away. Lola and Lana stood together, united in purpose as they chanted their protests along with the rest of the first graders. The clubs from the elementary school, while slightly fewer in number, were still there with the Morticians Club near the front of the crowd.

And in front of this crowd, this protest, was a black haired girl holding a megaphone.

"Do not go gentle into that good night,

Old age should burn and rave at close of day;

Rage, rage against the dying of the light."

After witnessing this, Clyde leaned in close to Lincoln.

"Dude, who knew that Lucy had it in her to do this?"

Lincoln looked at Clyde before crookedly smiling. "What are you talking about? She always had it."

'She just needed to believe she had it.'

The four joined the trickling of students that still headed towards the entrance of the school, flanked by teachers whose class populations were severely cut by their students choosing to exercise their first amendment rights. As they did, Lincoln looked over and caught Lucy's eye. The two stared at each other, before Lincoln smiled and gave a thumbs up. Lucy nodded and turned back to her protest, a bit of a blush on her cheeks.

Going through the doors, he was stopped by someone laying a hand on his shoulder.

"Mr. Loud."

Lincoln looked up at Principal Huggins, who had been waiting near the door. Free from his self-destructive thoughts and outlook, Lincoln made himself look at the principal with new eyes.

He saw a man who knew he was a puppet and hated every minute of it.

Lincoln looked to the rest of the group and nodded. The three looked at him and Principal Huggins, a little concerned. The Principal noticed their looks before clearing his throat.

"Superintendent White has requested Mr. Loud's presence. I'm sure that after their talk, he will join you in Mrs. Johnson's classroom shortly."

"It's okay, guys. I'll be fine."

Hearing Lincoln's words, the group left, their gaze lingering on him a bit before they disappeared behind corners.

"Well, come on, Mr. Loud. Let us get you there quickly."

Principal Huggins started to walk off, before Lincoln stopped him in his tracks.

"Are you okay, Principal Huggins? You don't look so good."

The Principal turned to look at Lincoln, clearly contemplating what to say.

"I'm fine, Mr. Loud. I'm just feeling a bit of stress right now. Nothing to worry about, though thank you for your concern."

With that, Principal Huggins turned around, only continuing to walk when he heard Lincoln's footsteps. As Principal Huggins walked with his back turned to him, Lincoln activated his equipment. After a few moments, he felt a ping against his skin. Everyone was in position, and everything was working great. Lincoln took a deep breath.

Time to get to work.

"Principal Huggins, can I go to the bathroom first?"

* * *

Principal Huggins led Lincoln to his office, opening the door and nodding to him. He noticed that the secretary wasn't at her post.

"Hopefully, whatever the Superintendent has to say to you is brief."

'Not likely.' Lincoln thought to himself as he walked in, hearing the door close behind him. Looking back, he saw that Principal Huggins didn't follow him in.

'White probably told him that he wanted to talk to me personally.' Lincoln thought to himself as he crossed the room and opened the door to the principal's office.

"Good morning, Lincoln Loud." Superintendent White greeted kindly, sitting at Principal Huggins' desk, an open laptop in front of him. "Come, take a seat."

"I think I'll stand." Lincoln replied, standing with his uninjured hand in his pocket. Superintendent White frowned a bit before continuing on.

"I heard that you and your sister had gotten into a bit of a scuffle that ended up with you injuring your wrist more. My condolences to you."

"Well…" Lincoln thought about how to best put the events last Wednesday. "Frankly, I'm responsible for the majority of the fight. We managed to bury the hatchet, kind of."

White raised an eyebrow. "Kind of?"

Lincoln looked a little sheepish. "It's still kind of awkward between us. I mean, I forgive her, and she forgave me, but it's still... you know."

"Hmm…" White stared at Lincoln for a bit. "Tell me, Lincoln. How would you describe your relationship with your siblings?"

Lincoln looked at White, unsure where he was going with this. It didn't just feel like White was trying to make a play for something here. Somewhere in White's words, Lincoln could feel a genuine curiosity plaintively peeking through.

"Well… good, most of the time. I'll admit that it can be rocky some of the time, and me and my sisters can be a handful to each other. Lori can be really bossy and controlling. There are times that Leni's dim moments can drive me up the wall. Luna plays her music so loud that I'm contemplating having my hearing checked. Luan can take things too far. Lucy can sometimes be so mysterious, I don't know what she is thinking and that kind of creeps me out. Lola can be a snooty handful, and Lana can be a dirty handful. Lisa can be a bit of a know-it-all, and I'm not entirely unsure if some of her more radioactive experiments have affected me. I'll admit that caring for Lily can sometimes be an assault on my ears and my nose… And Lynn… There are definitely times that I have wanted to throttle her…"

Lincoln's frown reversed slowly.

"That said, I learned a lot of things over the weekend, one of which being you can't let the bad overshadow the good. Lori can be bossy, but she is probably one of the most responsible people I know. Leni can be dim sometimes, but she can be so kind that I know I should at try to be like her. Luna can hurt my eardrums, but her passion can be just awe inspiring. Luan can take things too far, but I can definitely tell you plenty of times that she made me laugh. Lucy can be mysterious, but I know that she can be one of the best listeners if I ever need to talk. Lola can be very snooty, but she can drop it for our sakes. Lana can be a handful, but I don't think we would have found our pets if she wasn't around. Lisa can be a know-it-all, but she does know her stuff and will help if you ask. Lily can be a walking biohazard, but I wouldn't give her up for the world. And I know that Lynn can be really careless at times, but when the chips are down, she will do anything for us."

"...So yeah, I guess my relationship with my sisters is good."

Finishing his speech, Lincoln looked at Superintendent White again. On the surface, White seemed utterly expressionless, his face not giving away anything. However, like a spot in between plates of armor, his eyes gave away his emotions. They churned with a familiar negativity, one that he saw quite often staring at him as he stared at his sisters' trophies and honors.

Envy.

"I must say, Lincoln, if my eleven year old self had heard that, he would have been very jealous of you."

Lincoln blinked, unsure of how to respond to White's statement.

"What, did you have sisters, Mr. White?"

Superintendent White blinked as he leaned back, his gaze distant, as if viewing things that had happened long ago.

"Yes, I did. Mind you, I… never really had the best relationship with them, like you."

The Superintendent leaned back in the chair, before getting up and walking over to the window, which was still closed. Opening it, he continued to look to the outside, silent for the most part. Lincoln looked around, feeling the awkwardness around the situation, and yet White made no attempts at further dialogue.

Did he want him to ask about it?

Lincoln waited a few more moments.

Yep, White wanted him to ask about it.

"Was it really that bad?"

White turned his head to regard him, before turning back to the window.

"I had three sisters. One was good with money and was interested about learning about the stock market. Another certainly had talent in the theater and was always working to improve her abilities. The last one was very good with children and was always happy to volunteer her time. You can say that any parent would have been proud to call them their daughters…"

As White talked about his sisters, Lincoln couldn't see his face. The white haired boy paid close attention to the Superintendent's body language. It was slight, but Lincoln help but feel like that White seemed to be standing just a bit straighter, a bit more taller.

"But as for me…"

The straightness vanished like dew against the morning sun, White's shoulders slumping a bit as he continued to talk.

"I was the unremarkable one among our family. Everything I did paled in comparison to my sisters. Nothing was ever good enough, and eventually... my sisters began to believe that I was nothing special as well. In the end, in my darkest moment, I reached out to each and every one of them, pleading for help…"

White's hand closed into a fist, shaking slightly as it clenched.

"...Not one of them responded back. They must have thought themselves too good for me."

As Superintendent White made his way to the desk, Lincoln's mind was working at a million miles per hour, ruthlessly dissecting and taking apart his story. What were White's sisters' names? There weren't enough details to White's story. What was the 'darkest moment' in White's life, and how did they not help?

As Lincoln thought this, White sat back down, the chair making a bit of a creaking noise. Looking up, Lincoln froze as he regarded the look in White's eyes. At that moment, the questions that he had didn't seem to matter as much.

No bogus story would be able to inspire so much pain in his eyes.

And yet…

"So you can say, after all that, I learned a very important lesson…"

Such eyes only strengthened his resolve…

"That in the end, you can only depend on yourself."

...To not end up like White.

After that, the awkward silence returned, both people staring at each other. Lincoln stared straight, daring White to say the next thing on his mind. White stared at Lincoln, his eyes first radiating confusion at his own candidness, before slowly morphing back into expressionlessness.

"Was there a point to that, Superintendent?"

White thought for a moment.

"Not really, just some… rough childhood memories. Forgive this old man for wasting your time with memories that only mean something to him. Let us talk about what we have met here today for. You remember what we talked about on Wednesday, before your… incident?"

"I wish I didn't." Lincoln snarked.

"Well then, have you come up with an answer?"

Lincoln glared at White, before closing his eyes and breathing in deeply before exhaling. He opened them again, a bit calmer.

"Fine, I'll do it. I'll confess that I'm Balor, but on one condition."

White couldn't help but look incredulous. "I do not believe you are in any position to make demands of me, Lincoln."

Lincoln couldn't help but smirk unabashedly. "I believe I am. My sister helped me do some research on the budget. There's quite a bit of number fudging on the budget for each of the schools, and strange how some of the people involved with it happened to know you personally."

White looked unimpressed. "Is that it? Just a bunch of coincidences, and you think you have a case against me?"

"Maybe if I had only one coincidence, then maybe it is just an honest mistake. But if it was more than one time, if it had been steadily happening for a while, then it isn't just coincidence. I say that is a pattern."

Lincoln walked closer before taking his hand out of his pocket, and stared White dead in the eye.

"There's something weird about the way you've been operating ever since this whole thing started. Your willingness to go to the media first to talk about the grades, your willingness to call for a manhunt for Balor even though you know who I am, and let's not forget about how you essentially decided my punishment. Last I checked, you're not my principal."

"But you know what? I'm willing to forget all of that." Lincoln said as he held out his hand. "All I want is your absolute oath that if I confess, you'll do everything in your power to set the record straight, that my sisters didn't have any idea of what I did, and that you won't threaten Lori's applications for college."

White stared at Lincoln. "Strange, are you not going to plead for anything for yourself?"

Lincoln huffed. "At this point, I made my bed and am already going to lie in it. I'm just making sure that no one else has to join me."

White stared at Lincoln before nodding. "Such sentiment is...respectable. Very well, just allow me to ask a couple of things in return."

The white haired boy frowned a bit, before nodding.

"You are truly Balor?"

"Yes."

"Your sisters and parents truly do not know that you are Balor?"

"Yes."

"You admit to stealing Principal Huggins' credit card?"

"Yes."

"...Very well. Allow me to shake your hand right where you are. I don't believe in doing such things with a giant block of wood in between us."

"That's fair." Lincoln responded as he held out his uninjured hand.

As White grasped Lincoln's hand, his other hand shot forth like a snake and dug itself into Lincoln's pocket. Lincoln could only drop his jaw as White pulled out something and opened his hand, revealing the object in his palm. A portable recorder was there, the light showing that the device had been turned on and was recording.

Lincoln could only shake in horror. "H-How?"

White's genteel smile turned just a tad savage. "Lincoln Loud, do you really believe that you're the only one that has seen those kinds of media, where the hero manages to engineer a public confession out of his antagonist? I'm afraid you've been watching far too much TV for your own good."

With that, White let the recorder drop, before stomping down on the device. As his foot left the ground again, he revealed the broken pieces. Lincoln slumped to his knees in front of the wreck as White returned back to the desk.

"In fact, do you wish to know something interesting?"

White's question made Lincoln look up as White clicked something on his laptop, then a familiar conversation started playing.

" _Are you truly Balor?"_

" _Yes."_

Lincoln's eyes widened as he stared at the laptop.

"Y-You've been recording this entire conversation."

White nodded. "As soon as you arrived."

The silence was deafening as Lincoln stared down at the wreckage of his device.

"What are you willing to do now? Because allow me to tell you something, I recently called the police in order to calm down this little disruption to the school environment."

Lincoln looked up. "YOU CALLED THE POLICE?!"

White shrugged. "Yes, I did. The group out there seems a lot bigger, and dare I say, a bit more rowdier. High schoolers can be quite a volatile group, and it would only take one to escalate the situation. I think that it would be better for everyone if the situation out there is solved calmly with everyone involved unharmed."

Lincoln saw the implicit demand in White's words. "You want me to go out there and publicly confess, making Lucy and my sisters lose credibility and dissolving the protest like that?"

White merely leaned back into his chair. "I'm afraid that your sisters got involved the moment you decided to take up that mask."

The Superintendent then leaned back forward, staring down at Lincoln. "I must commend you. Me and my associates have been skimming off the top for years, and you have been the only one that figure that out. A few have come close in the past, but none managed to get as close as you. Still, it is not like any one will believe a 'costumed punk' with numbers calculated by his college graduate four-year-old sister over the Superintendent. At this point I believe I hold all the cards."

Lincoln quietly laid his forehead on the floor, his face shadowed. He took a couple of deep breaths, before looking up, his face resolute. "Fine, you win. I'll go out there."

White nodded as he clicked something on his laptop, before pulling out a usb drive. Walking to the door, he pulled it open and looked out.

"Ahh, Cheryl. Can you please take this? Please wait by the announcement station in case Lincoln here decides to renege on his promise."

The secretary nodded as she went back to her station. Superintendent White turned back to Lincoln.

"Well, shall we?"

Lincoln nodded slowly, getting up from the floor.

"Before I go out there, do you mind if I go to the bathroom?"

* * *

If someone had told Lucy that she would one day lead a protest of students ranging from elementary school to high school, she would have gladly laughed in their face, or stared closely at them as she repeatedly said the world 'ha.'

Funny how life, such a transient and fleeting thing, could still provide so many opportunities for one to challenge their own perceptions about themselves.

"No, we will not disperse. We have a right to be here and to give voice to what we believe." Lucy found herself saying to the police officer, who was standing there grimly.

"You do realize that there are consequences for holding a protest without a permit?" The officer asked, clearly in an attempt to intimidate her with consequences. A few moments passed before the police officer turned his head and coughed, trying to hide his discomfort at her unmoving expression.

Lucy counted that as a win.

"As if the injustice that is being done here could wait for sixty days…" Lucy said, still feeling a bit of bitterness when she and her sisters had tried discretely to find out how to hold a protest legally. By the time they would have been allowed to hold it, the people's attention would already be gone, and the Superintendent would just cast them as a bunch of overreacting children to their parents.

Even so, it was a hard sell to a majority of their party, to the point that Lucy wondered how they still managed to gather this many people to this protest.

The police officer sighed, obviously seeing that it was useless to dissuade the protest leader from her course. He walked away, taking out his walkie-talkie and talking to it as he made it back to his brethren in blue, pointedly ignoring the reporter who was on the scene and trying to get an interview out of anyone that she could get her hands on. As Lucy watched the man walk away, Haiku came up behind her.

"I doubt that is the end."

Lucy nodded. "Yeah."

The two looked back at the protest that was still happening. The presence of the police had clearly changed the atmosphere. While there had been a bit of tension in the air from before, it was now at an all-time high. Lucy could see everyone trying their best not to be affected by the oppressive atmosphere and not to appear like they were about to break out into a riot. The tension was steadily getting worse, so palpable that Lucy could see the pressure gauge to it all.

Something was going to happen.

At that moment, the Superintendent appeared at the front door, holding a megaphone. Turning it on, he raised it to his lips.

"Attention, students of Royal Woods Elementary. I have an announcement to make. As of now, the decision for indefinite halting of club activities is under reconsideration."

Lucy blinked before looking at Haiku, whose eyes were just as wide. Did Superintendent White just say what they thought he had said?

Where was he going with this?

"I have decided on this because the person who is Balor has chosen to step forward to take responsibility for his actions."

Lucy's breath stopped as she heard that, only slightly aware of the crowd behind her whispering and gossiping about the bombshell that had just been dropped.

What?

"In fact," Superintendent White said as he placed a hand on the door. "Here he is right now, to give all of Royal Woods Elementary, as well as you protestors, a public apology. Come on out."

One person stepped out. A boy with white hair and an orange shirt and one of his wrists in a cast. Lucy blinked.

What was Lincoln doing there? White handed him the megaphone.

"Hi…" Lincoln said, his voice unsure and small. "My name is Lincoln Loud."

"Though you can call me Balor."

Everything stopped for Lucy, as all the pieces fell into place. Balor had something wrong with his wrist, it looked thicker than usual. Balor was let in by her brother, and managed to navigate the house's vents by himself.

Every time that Lincoln wasn't there, Balor was there.

"I wanted to say that I'm responsible for disrupting the peace as well as stealing Principal Huggins' credit card information…"

The more she thought about it, the more it made sense. Lincoln didn't seem like the kind of person to become Balor, he had been the last person that Lucy would have ever thought to be Balor. Not to mention that Lincoln had accidentally taken those drugs Lisa made.

And a fearless Lincoln would no doubt try to fulfill his childhood fantasies.

"And I apologize for the grief that I caused."

Lucy subtly turned her head, studying Haiku's face. Haiku noticed and faced her, showing her expression of confusion and shock. The goth looked back at the crowd, their chants now completely silent as they digested the news of who Balor was.

Some were shocked. Others were crestfallen. And there were those who were looking at her sisters with anger, only held in place by the police clearly looking for any hints of a riot breaking out.

Lucy turned back, seeing Lincoln with his head bowed. She saw Superintendent White reach out for the megaphone, no doubt to say some more things while he watched the protest collapse upon itself. Then Lincoln looked up.

The fire that still burned in Lincoln's eyes was visible to her.

Lincoln then turned to White, turned on the megaphone, and shouted.

"AT LEAST THAT'S WHAT I SAY IF IT WAS TRUE!"

...Huh?

White stumbled back, rubbing his ears, though clearly looking confused as he stared at Lincoln. Lucy didn't need to turn her head to know that even the crowd behind now didn't know what to make of the situation.

"YOU HEARD ME! I'M NOT BALOR! I'M JUST THE SCAPEGOAT THAT WHITE PICKED SO THAT HE CAN CONVINCE EVERYONE HE KNOWS WHO BALOR IS!"

Lincoln turned back to White.

"SO DO YOUR WORST, WHITE! I'M NOT HELPING YOU SOCIALLY CRUCIFY MY SISTERS!" With that, Lincoln let the megaphone drop from his hands.

Lucy barely heard the gossip start up behind her as she did her best to read White's lips and Lincoln's lips.

'What do you think you're doing, Lincoln?'

'I'm not helping you do this. Why don't you go out and actually find Balor?'

'Are you actually trying to be obstinate at this moment? You do realize that I have incriminating evidence of you.'

'...Go ahead.'

'...What?'

'Play it. Let's hear it.'

'...Very well, if you insist.'

Lucy frowned. White had incriminating evidence? Then why was Lincoln insisting that he wasn't Balor?

Looking at Lincoln again as White called for someone to play the evidence over the PA system, she froze. She looked over Lincoln's body language and expression, and found the same thing she saw the first time. Lincoln didn't look like a person who was on the verge of suffering punishment and was trying to do all he could to escape his fate.

Lincoln looked like the man with a plan...and his plan was coming all together.

Lucy looked one more time at White, who looked down at his phone in shock.

'...What do you mean, you got locked out?'

Suddenly, the PA system came to life, and a woman's voice came through it.

 _You think you know me_

After that, the PA system roared with electric guitars and drums in a way that made Luna shout in glee and throwing up rocker signs with her hands. The crowd was silent, unsure of what was happening. White looked completely confused, looking around as if the cause for such music coming through the PA would appear before his eyes.

And Lincoln merely stood there, utterly confident as the doors suddenly slammed open.

 _On this day, I see clearly! Everything has come to life!_

Out of the doors, Balor strode out. Superintendent White looked like he had seen a ghost. Lincoln merely stepped out of the way.

 _A bitter place and a broken dream_

As Balor stood in between Lincoln and Superintendent White, Lucy could only stare, absolutely bamboozled. Lincoln wasn't Balor? Then White was lying? Why would he try to make Lincoln take the blame?

For that matter, what did White threaten Lincoln with?

 _And we'll leave it all, leave it all behind!_

Balor picked up the megaphone, checked over it, before turning it on and facing White directly, whose face was turning into his namesake.

"Well, well, how are you, Superintendent White?"

As Balor spoke, Lucy frowned. There was something weird about Balor's voice, and it wasn't just due to the megaphone. On the surface, Balor sounded fine.

"You must have had a great party last night, because you being drunk was probably the only reason a holy joe like you came up with this thick idea!"

Yet Lucy could hear the moments Balor's voice sounded a bit...off. A hitch there, her voice slightly lowered one moment and higher the next. Looking around, everyone else were too distracted by the fact that Lincoln was right, and White apparently lied. Looking back, Lucy re-examined Lincoln and Balor again.

Balor was slightly taller than Lincoln, his clothes now seemingly just a tad tighter on him. His right arm also wasn't as thick as when he visited her last Thursday night. However, Lincoln's right arm matched the thickness with the cast. She also looked at Lincoln more closely, finding his casual behavior strange. She barely registered White saying something before Balor spoke again.

"Oh, come off it! I'm Balor and Lincoln's Lincoln! No two ways about it! Frankly, you've made quite the bags about this entire thing."

At that moment, despite Balor's face being covered, it was easy to discern the absolute smirk coming through the mask.

"Unless, actually catching me was never your intent in the first place, huh, you cute hoor?"

Balor raised one of his free hands up in the air and snapped his fingers. The PA system cackled to life again, White's words coming through. For a brief moment, Lucy wondered how White was talking through the PA system while still being at the front door.

Then she heard what White was saying through the PA system.

" **I must commend you. Me and my associates have been skimming off the top for years, and you have been the only one that figure that out. A few have come close in the past, but none managed to get as close as you. Still, it is not like any one will believe a costumed punk with numbers calculated by his college graduate four-year-old sister over the Superintendent. At this point I believe I hold all the cards."**

Lucy saw White turn even paler, and she couldn't help but have a smirk of pure vindictive pleasure on her face. She turned to have Haiku, who had the same expression on her face. The two turned around, seeing the rest of the crowd get the same expression.

'Well well... That's a surprise.'

Lincoln couldn't help but relish in White's shock and horror, the superintendent stepping back, recoiling from their presence. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the police listening to their radios, looking between who was talking to them on the radio and the Superintendent. Looking to the side, he saw Lisa hidden by the bushes, giving him a small thumbs up.

"H-how? HOW?! I-I broke your wire, how did you do this?!" White said, the loss of composure making him look like another man entirely.

Lincoln smirked as he hooked a finger on one of his pants' belt loops.

* * *

" _Sent." Lisa said as she turned to Lincoln, the email to the police confirmed as sent._

* * *

" _I need to go to the restroom." Lincoln said to Superintendent White._

 _As Lincoln entered the restroom, he went into the stalls, where another person was waiting. Taking out a piece of paper and a pencil from his backpack, he quickly wrote something on the paper, wrapped something in the paper, before slid it into the next stall. Waiting a couple of moments, he walked out of the stall and exited the bathroom._

 _A few moments later, Clyde popped his head out of the stall, and looked around, before taking out his walkie-talkie._

* * *

 _Cheryl the Secretary sat at her desk, waiting for White's signal to broadcast Lincoln's confession._

 _Suddenly, something small and wet splattered itself against her face. Wiping the offensive sensation off, she looked down at her hand to see the remains of a spitball. Then another one landed on her face._

 _Looking up, she saw a fifth grader dressed in a lucha libre mask, a straw in the mouth hole. A moment passed before the person blew again, another spitball landing right in her eye._

" _HEY!" Cheryl shouted, getting up and chasing after the masked stranger, and leaving the room and her post unguarded. A few seconds passed before Clyde and Lisa quickly entered, locking the door behind them and getting to work._

 _Clyde grabbed the usb stick and shoved it into his pocket, while Lisa connected the device that held a recording of White's unintentional confession to the PA system._

 _*Knock knock*_

 _Clyde and Lisa turned around and saw Balor knocking on the window. Lisa double checked everything and nodded to herself, grabbing something inside her backpack and holding out the voice-box to Balor. Balor took it, stuffed it inside the mask and adjusted it so that nothing looked out of place, before speaking._

" _Testing...Testing...I say we're doing brutal!"_

 _Lisa smiled. "Good."_

 _With that, Balor helped Lisa down to the ground, before climbing into the room. Lisa gave a nod before going off to the front of the school. Clyde checked the hallways, before nodding at Balor. Balor quickly exited the room and ran down the hallways, before stopping at the front entrance._

 _As she waited for the signal, she already started to play the music in her head. She had gone ahead and listened to the music on her spare time. Not only was it loud and boisterous, a few of the verses spoke to her directly._

 _I've been defeated and brought down_

 _Dropped to my knees when hope ran out_

 _The signal came, and Balor strode out._

 _THE TIME HAS COME TO CHANGE MY WAYS!_

* * *

Lincoln smirked as he hooked his finger on one of his belt loops, before pulling it down, revealing a bug on the waistband of his underwear. White was practically a fish at this moment, quickly looking up from that to Lincoln's face. Lincoln smirk grew wider.

* * *

" _...I believe I hold all the cards at the moment."_

 _Lincoln laid his forehead on the floor, covering his face in shadow…_

 _Just to conceal the utter mirth breaking out on his face._

* * *

"Mr. White, we need you to come with us to answer a few questions." The police officer said as he came up to the Superintendent. White tried to smile, only for it to just be a formless show of teeth.

"O-o-o-of course, o-o-officer. A-a-anything to h-h-help…" White said, his brain clearly running at a million miles per hour trying to figure out a way out of this mess. The police officer nodded, pointedly ignoring White's demeanor, as two other officers went inside the building, in order to bring Cheryl in for questioning.

Lincoln took a deep breath, feeling the success of his plan sink in. White would either get convicted from his crimes, or at the very least, have his professional reputation torn to shreds by the 24-hour news cycle. Now all that remained was for 'Balor' to make 'his' getaway, and the plan could be called a complete success.

Only 'Balor' wasn't moving. Lincoln looked at 'him' nervously. The moment after White was taken away was the perfect time to slip away. Now another police officer was coming up to them. Looking at 'Balor', he was ready to scream when he saw 'Balor' not even attempting to move.

'What are you doing?! MOVE!' Lincoln internally screamed.

"Balor? We're going to need you to come with us to the station to ask you a few things."

'Balor' nodded. "Of course."

Lincoln went bug eyed.

'Lynn, what are you doing?!'

"Balor, what are you doing?" Lincoln asked. 'Balor' turned to face him.

"I've done things that I have to make up for, Lincoln. Don't worry about me, this is what I deserve."

As 'Balor' started to walk away with the police officer, Lincoln stared at 'him' before he started to clench his fists.

'Are you serious, Lynn? Was this why you wanted so badly to do this plan?!'

"NO, IT'S ALL HIS PLAN!"

Lincoln and everyone else blinked and turned around to regard Cheryl the secretary getting dragged out by two frazzled police officers. Behind them, Principal Huggins and some of the other teachers came out, looking utterly confused and slightly betrayed.

"I SWEAR, I WAS JUST FOLLOWING MR. WHITE'S ORDERS. HE TOLD ME TO DO IT!"

"Ma'am, you have the right to remain silent, everything you say can and will be used against you." One of the police officers said, sounding like he had said this a thousand times in the past two minutes.

"AND I'M TELLING YOU THAT WHITE'S THE GUILTY ONE!" Cheryl screamed.

White merely looked down, grumbling under his breath.

As Cheryl and White were escorted into the police cars, Lincoln looked back at 'Balor' and the police officer going to the same place. At this moment, White was surely going to get nailed with something, if his partner in crime didn't stop snitching.

'...I could just let Lynn do what she wants. This is what she wants, for me to walk free and her to take the blame for everything.'

Lincoln's lips peeled back.

'Like he was going to just let her!'

"OFFICER!" Lincoln shouted as he half walked, half ran over, making both the police officer and 'Balor' turn to face him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw White look over with some interest.

"Son, what do you need?" The police officer asked.

"It's not he-him you want. It's me. I'm Balor, this guy is just some random stooge that I got to play the role!"

Before Lincoln could continue, 'Balor' pulled him back.

"I-Ignore my friend here, officer. He's had a rough week, but don't worry, I am-"

"LIKE HECK, S-HE IS. DON'T LISTEN TO THIS EEJIT, I'M THE REAL-"

"LINCOLN, WHAT DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" 'Balor' shouted as 'he' covered Lincoln's mouth, only for Lincoln to get out of 'his' grip.

"I SHOULD BE ASKING YOU THAT!" Lincoln shouted.

"I AM FINE WITH THIS, LINCOLN! WHY WON'T YOU LET ME DO THIS?!"

Lincoln got into 'Balor's' face. "BECAUSE BALOR IS MY MISTAKE TO FIX, NOT YOURS!"

"Excuse me."

"GAH!" 'Balor', Lincoln and the police officer exclaimed in surprise, looking over at Lucy, who was standing there.

"Lucy? What are you doing?" Both 'Balor' and Lincoln asked.

"Officer, I'm afraid there is a bit of a misunderstanding." She gave Lincoln and 'Balor' a quick look before turning back to the police officer. "You see, I am the real Balor."

"WHAT?!" 'Balor' and Lincoln reacted. "LUCY, WHAT ARE YOU-"

The police officer looked absolutely unconvinced. "Sure you're Balor. And I suppose you hired someone to play you when you had your little interview?"

"That would be correct." Lisa came out, walking past the police officer to stand near her siblings, adjusting her glasses. "After all, you're making the critical error of assuming that there is only one Balor."

She reached inside her bag, and showed a voice modulator, turning it on and bringing it close to her mouth.

"And voices can easily be fabricated, moran."

Before the police officer could react, two more voices rang out.

"Don't forget me!" "What do you think you're doing, Lincoln?!"

Clyde and Ronnie ran past the police officer too, standing beside the group. The police officer sighed as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"Let me guess, are you two Balor as well?"

Clyde and Ronnie looked at each other before nodding. "Yeah." "Definitely." "Bullet Club for life." "Yessiree."

The police officer groaned as he looked around at the group of kids being so stubborn. He could just arrest the one that was clearly Balor, yet the small girl with the glasses had a point. Was the real Balor even here?

"Is there a problem here?" Another police officer, though looking a bit higher up in rank, came up to him.

"Apparently, they're all claiming to be Balor, sir." The police officer said, gesturing to the group.

"Well, we have enough space in the car for all of them. Still…"

The senior police officer got the megaphone and spoke into it to the crowd standing behind Lincoln and the others.

"Is there anyone else that would like to confess to being the real Balor or having aided him in his activities? Come forward and speak up!"

As soon as that message was sent…

"I'm Balor!"

Leni, Lori, and Bobby came up to the group. Lori and Leni put their hands on each of Lincoln's shoulders, while Bobby held Ronnie's hand. Lori and Bobby's other hands found each other.

"I'm Balor!"

Luna and Luan tore themselves from their respective parties, quickly running over to flank the group.

"I'M BALOR!"

Lola and Lana quickly ran to the front of the group, facing down the two officers that towered over them.

Just as the senior police officer was about to say something to the junior…

"I'M BALOR!"

Everyone turned to see the Morticians Club coming forward to join them, Haiku in the front.

"I'M BALOR!"

The High School Drama Club came up, with Giggles in the front.

"I'M BALOR!" "I'M BALOR!"

Leni's fashion club stepped forward, with Tabby and the blond girl with the teal streak close by.

"I'M BALOR!" "I'M BALOR!" "I'M BALOR!"

The Math Club stepped forward, and the Zoology Club, and the Chess Club, and the Athletic Club…

"I'M BALOR!" "I'M BALOR!" "I'M BALOR!" "I'M BALOR!" "I'M BALOR!" "I'M BALOR!"

Zach stepped forward. Rusty stepped forward. Liam stepped forward. Rocky stepped forward. Artie stepped forward. Chandler stepped forward.

"I'M BALOR!" "I'M BALOR!" "I'M BALOR!" "I'M BALOR!" "I'M BALOR!" "I'M BALOR!" "I'M BALOR!" "I'M BALOR!" "I'M BALOR!"

Kat. Christina. Francisco. Margo. Maggie. Carol. Becky. Teri. Dana.

"I'M BALOR!" "I'M BALOR!" "I'M BALOR!" "I'M BALOR!" "I'M BALOR!" "I'M BALOR!" "I'M BALOR!" "I'M BALOR!" "I'M BALOR!" "I'M BALOR!" "I'M BALOR!" "I'M BALOR!" "I'M BALOR!" "I'M BALOR!" "I'M BALOR!" "I'M BALOR!" "I'M BALOR!" "I'M BALOR!" "I'M BALOR!" "I'M BALOR!"

Lincoln and 'Balor' could only look back, gobsmacked as they saw and heard the support they were getting. They looked at each other, before shrugging and turning back to the police officers.

"I'M BALOR!" "I'M BALOR!"

The two police officers, along with the rest of them, could only look out at the sea of chanting and shake their heads. White, looking from his seat in the police car, quietly looked away.

"I don't think we have enough space in the cars for all of them."

"We don't even have enough space for all of them even at the station."

"Gentlemen." Principal Huggins said as he came up to them. "I believe you have a conundrum on your hands, one that I would be happy to solve."

"How so?"

"Well, I do have testimony that can absolve Balor of the credit card theft charge on him. Meanwhile, I believe you do not have enough evidence to pin anyone here to that scene, and as I believe Lisa Loud had said, voices can be fabricated."

The senior police officer looked at his junior before sighing. "Fine, go ahead and tell 'Balor' here that they're free to go. However, should we see Balor ever again, we will take action."

Huggins nodded, before grabbing the megaphone and relaying the news.

The cry of jubilation was thunderous. Plenty of hugs and pats on the back were given. Reporters tried to get close to Balor, but was blocked by the sheer number of bodies.

"BALOR!" "BALOR!" "BALOR!" "BALOR!" "BALOR!" "BALOR!" "BALOR!" "BALOR!"

And in the middle of it was 'Balor.'

'Balor' looked at Lincoln.

This is supposed to be for you.

Lincoln smiled.

It's fine.

And he meant it.

* * *

Author's note: *GASP*

I have actually been working on this for the past week. The other week was spent on 'Reading Late Lincoln Loud's will.'

Hopefully this massive update is worth it.

Finally, the song that was used was Alter Bridge's 'Metalingus.'

Yes, that's the title.


	20. Epilogue - Carry On, My Wayward Son

… Here we are, and frankly, let's save what I want to say for the end author notes.

Beta Reader: InquisitorJeeves

* * *

Good Afternoon, America! I'm Michelle Ortega, and welcome to National American News!

Our top story comes out of a small town in Michigan called Royal Woods. The Superintendent of the district, Mr. Bruce White, along with six others, have just been found guilty of conspiracy to commit fraud, falsifying information on documents, and blackmail. As such, the former superintendent and his conspirators are looking at quite a while in jail.

However, that is not why this story is currently striking a chord across the country. To give you the full story, we must go back to the first time that the police got an anonymous call, to investigate the owner of a gas and gulp store that turned out to have committed multiple health code violations.

This would be the first time that the name 'Balor' would be heard.

* * *

Uhh…yes…

Me and my club members were... mourning the end of our club, the Morticians club. As far as we knew, that was the end of it. Our principal had left no room for argument, we had to cease our activities immediately and indefinitely.

It...It was hard. It wasn't exactly the biggest club or the most popular...but it was ours, and we were devoted to it. And to be asked to stop...it's heartbreaking…

I mean, most of us weren't ready to go on full protest, but I guess we were hoping for something.

So imagine our surprise when this covered up person climbs in through the window and introduces himself as the person that had fought a fully grown teenager for one of our club members, and she confirms it... and then this guy basically tells us his plan, and it's crazy, insane even. Most of us weren't willing to go through with it.

Except Lucy.

Lucy was willing to go through with it, and I guess the rest of us thought that if Lucy could do it, why couldn't we? Honestly, Lucy was never the kind of person who I thought would do the stuff that she did.

But I guess that's how Balor changed her...

* * *

This...Balor is frankly a menace and a terrible influence on America's youth!

I mean, I will not deny that he has done some good, I will not deny him credit for that. However, there has been evidence of him causing public disruption at his local schools, and even encouraging others to create even more havoc in his stead. I mean, who else could have inspired that little girl and her sisters to create such a crowd? The police were called for goodness sakes, that could have been a riot, and Balor would have had all those injuries on his hands.

So what if the crowd would have had to wait nearly two months for their application for a demonstration permit to go through? We have rules and regulations for a reason. It is to keep everything neat and tidy so that everything doesn't go haywire at the slightest provocation!

If you ask me, Balor should have taken what he knew to the proper authorities and let them handle it!

* * *

Welcome to the Lincor Deviantart Fanclub!

* * *

So you want my comment on why the police station is choosing to let Balor go?

Fine, here is what we had. As far as we knew, the only concrete evidence that we had was a voice. Other than that, Balor doesn't actually have much of a case against him. Add to that Wilbur Huggins' testimony that he willingly bought the pizzas and that White blackmailed him with halving the school's budget if he did not comply with the 'Thuggish Balor' narrative that White wanted to portray.

Not to mention that if we did try anything at that moment, we would have surely set off a riot, and I don't know about you, but my boys aren't always hungry for that kind of action.

No further comment.

* * *

A high school in Tucson, Arizona is receiving a massive surprise in the morning after it announced cutting funds for several extracurricular activities and classes.

The video being shown now is live, showing a protest of students, shouting a name that has become very common these days.

"WE ARE BALOR! WE ARE BALOR! WE ARE BALOR!"

* * *

Guys, check out my custom Balor Club shirt! #JustTooSweet #BalorClub4Life

* * *

At this point, the whole country is asking, who is Balor?

* * *

"AUGH, is Balor LITERALLY the only thing people want to talk about?! I have to close notifications on my phone for all the news about Balor to stop popping up!" Lori groaned as she set the phone to the side.

"I totes know what you mean. Everyone keeps asking our club if we're planning on making Balor Club shirts." Leni took a moment to take a bite of her breakfast.

The family sat around the tables, having breakfast and getting ready for school. For the most part, things around town were getting back to normal. Even the question of who was going to be the new superintendent was answered as the district announced that instead of appointing a new superintendent, they were going to enact a council of people to oversee superintendent duties, as a way to safeguard against this sort of thing from happening again.

All in all, things were starting to go back to normal...mostly.

"MOM! I can see them again!" Lana said as she looked outside the window. Rita pulled Lana away from the window.

"Just try not to pay attention to them, Lana. Lucy, can you go get your brother up? Everyone can't afford to be late, and I doubt he wants to be swarmed by the paparazzi."

Lucy nodded, before getting up from her seat and walking up the stairs. As she walked up to Lincoln's door, she knocked on it and waited. A few moments later, Lincoln spoke up.

"Come in."

As the goth opened the door, Lincoln was fully dressed, sitting on the edge of his bed, reading one of his comic books.

"Lincoln, it's time to come down now. You should get something to eat."

Lincoln looked up from his comic book, then to Lucy, before going back to the colorful panels. Lucy turned around and was about to leave when Lincoln spoke up again.

"Doesn't matter what the press says."

Lucy froze.

"Doesn't matter what the higher-ups say."

Lucy turned back to Lincoln, who's gaze was still stuck to the comic book.

"Doesn't matter if the whole school, town, state, country decides that something **wrong** is something **right**. When everything and everyone is telling you to move, if you truly believe in it, then it is your responsibility to stand next to that conviction, TO THAT TRUTH, AND SAY TO ALL OF THOSE THAT ARE SCREAMING AT YOU…"

Lincoln looked back at Lucy.

"No, you move."

Lincoln stood up and came closer, before holding out the comic book to her. Looking on it, Lucy's mouth slightly dropped as she read what was on the page. Word for word, the character's speech was exactly Balor's speech to her that night. And the fact that Lincoln knew…

The context of Lincoln's actions that day suddenly had new meaning to Lucy.

"Gasp."

Lincoln nodded.

"Let's talk, Lucy."

* * *

As Lynn collected whatever books she needed from her locker, the sound of sneakers running through the halls loudly made her look over. Seeing the group of girls running towards her unmindful of the others still in the hallway, Lynn frowned. She knew that her decision was going to get some flak, but she didn't think that people were going to react to it this quickly.

"LYNN!" Margo shouted as she and the other two slowed down in front of her. "What happened?"

Lynn didn't visibly react as she checked all her books and making sure that she had what she needed. "I decided to quit sports for the season. Is that wrong?"

Yeah, after the entire fiasco, Lynn decided that she needed some time to think about everything. Besides, there was no way that she was going to be able to play at her very best, and her teammates deserved better. And so, she went to all her coaches, and told them in no uncertain terms that she was going to drop out of the season.

Needless to say, this decision of hers wasn't the most popular.

"LYNN! WE CAN'T DO THIS WITHOUT YOU, YOU'RE LIKE ONE OF OUR BEST PLAYERS! YOU CAN'T DROP OUT ON US NOW!" One of her other teammates told her as Margo seemed to look carefully at Lynn's face.

"Well, I'm sorry. I just...have a lot on my mind." Lynn said, refusing now to look up and meet her ex-teammates increasingly furious gazes.

"WELL, YOU HAD A LOT ON YOUR MIND BEFORE, SO WHY CAN'T YOU JUST DO IT NOW?!"

Before Lynn could say anything, Margo turned to her two teammates. "Guys, I think I should try to do this by myself, okay? You're starting to make a scene here."

The other two looked around the place, now noticing the other students watching them. Looking at each other, the two looked at Margo, clearly trusting her to handle the situation, before walking away. Margo looked back at Lynn.

"So you really can't?"

Lynn looked away.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be." Margo said as she laid a hand on her shoulder. "Just concentrate on getting better, Lynn. I'll just tell everyone else that I couldn't convince you."

Lynn smiled. "Thanks, Margo."

* * *

Lincoln put his books inside his backpack and closed his locker, the loud noise startling a couple of people around him. As Lincoln started to walk away, he noticed how a couple of students that had been keeping away now made their move to get their stuff inside their own lockers. The white haired boy resisted the urge to groan, in case someone else interpreted his innocuous noise as something more threatening.

As he was about to turn the corner, someone bumped into him.

"HEY!" Chandler shouted, the other two boys suddenly turning white. "WATCH WHERE Y-"

Chandler suddenly realized who he was talking to, his scowl immediately reversing into a nervous smile.

"H-HEY, LINCOLN, HOW ARE YOU?!" Chandler smiled, his hand about to pat him on the shoulder, before thinking differently and pulling his hand back.

"I'm fine." Lincoln said, giving no indication that he was feeling annoyed by Chandler. "Listen, I'm gonna go now."

"C-COOL! S-S-SEE YOU LATER, LINCOLN!" Chandler waved along with his other two friends, the one with the mask covering his nose moving a little more jerkier than his compatriots. Lincoln didn't mind as he continued forward, only taking note of the other students unconsciously breathing in relief.

A few more steps away from that scene, and Clyde joined him on his walk.

"Hey dude." Clyde greeted.

"Hey." Lincoln greeted back.

"So...are things cool between you and…"

Lincoln nodded. "Yeah, Ronnie and I both agreed to not let Bobby or Lori know for a while."

Clyde frowned. "Are you okay, dude?"

"Yeah...kinda wish that I actually like-liked Ronnie instead of finding it cool that a girl liked me in that way."

Lincoln looked at Clyde. "By the way, are you sure your parents are cool with me hanging out with you, considering my new reputation?"

Clyde shrugged. "Eh...I say they'll see that it's just a load of hot air. Besides, you're my bro, Lincoln, no matter what."

Lincoln smiled as the two exited out of the school. "Thanks, Clyde."

"MR. LOUD!"

Lincoln groaned as he spotted a few journalists walking towards him. Looking over at the parking lot, he saw Vanzilla and the rest of his siblings waving him over.

"See you tomorrow, Clyde." Lincoln said as he briskly walked forward towards Vanzilla. As the journalists came over to him and tried to ask questions, he only said "No comment." as he continued walking forward.

As he came near, Luan and Lisa opened the door for him. His brisk walk turned into a run, and he flung himself into the backseat, landing on Luan's lap.

"GET US OUT OF HERE, LORI!"

Lori didn't need to be told twice.

* * *

"KIDS, DINNER! WE'RE HAVING PIZZA!"

As everyone else moved past them, Lynn's eyes met Lincoln's for a brief moment.

The two stared at each other, Lynn remembering the words that Lincoln told her.

" _Lynn, if I had to be honest, you haven't lost my love. My trust...that's something different."_

The brief moment ended with Lincoln nodding his head and moving on, Lynn close after him.

The bridge between them had been broken. The pane of glass that was them had been broken. By all accounts, Lynn shouldn't have even tried to do anything.

Yet, the first plank of a new bridge had been placed down. The first big piece of a mosaic had been found. Even if it took years…

Lynn wanted her brother to smile with her again.

* * *

 _ **A thirteen year old Lynn walked down the stairs and looked at Lincoln, who was sitting on the couch in his underwear and reading his comic books.**_

" _ **Hey, Lincoln." Lynn greeted. "You mind if I sit next to you?"**_

" _ **Okay…" Lincoln said, a little weirded out. "I mean, I am in my underwear, Lynn. You alright with that?"**_

" _ **Yeah." Lynn said as she sat next to him. "I don't want you to be uncomfortable."**_

 _ **Lincoln went back to his comic book, only to realize that Lynn was looking at the pages with him.**_

" _ **Hey, Lincoln. Who's that?" Lynn said as she pointed to one character.**_

" _ **That's One-Eyed Jack. He's Ace Savvy's sidekick."**_

" _ **What does he do?"**_

" _ **Lynn, why are you asking?" Lincoln said as he looked suspiciously at his sister.**_

" _ **What, I just want to know what he does. Is that wrong?"**_

" _ **Because I'm pretty sure that this stuff is probably pretty boring to you. Look, if you want to kick the soccer ball around, I can go ahead and get dressed."**_

" _ **No. It's cool. I want to spend time here with you, learning about what my bro likes."**_

" _ **...Oh. You sure about that? Because it can get boring and I don't want to waste your time."**_

 _ **Lynn simply smiled.**_

" _ **As if spending time with my bro could ever be a waste of time…"**_

* * *

Author's Notes:

Well… it's done.

Some stories take months, some take years, and others never reach this point. For this story, it took about five months. But now this story can truly be called complete.

Thank you all for your support. Your reviews, favorites, and follows have been a driving force for me to keep pushing. At this point, 110 K words is a record for me, as well as breaking 200 reviews.

Also, thank you once again, InquisitorJeeves, for working with me and this story, and catching the mistakes I make.

Otherwise, I'm done with this plotline. I don't have any plans for a sequel, though if any of you want to take a stab at it, you have my blessing.

On that note, catch you later.

Stall Walt - 3/28/18


End file.
